190818-M-EC058-1057 BAB EL-MANDEB STRAIT (Aug. 18, 2019) A Sailor assigned to the amphibious assault ship USS Boxer (LHD 4) looks through binoculars during a Bab el-Mandeb Strait transit. The Boxer Amphibious Ready Group and 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit are deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations in support of naval operations to ensure maritime stability and security in the Central Region, connecting the Mediterranean and the Pacific through the western Indian Ocean and three strategic choke points. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Dalton S. Swanbeck/Released)