180901-N-UX013-2063 U.S. 5TH FLEET AREA OF OPERATIONS (Sept. 1, 2018) Cmdr. John Hamilton, commanding officer of the guided-missile destroyer USS Jason Dunham (DDG 109), waves farewell to French sailors on a rigid-hull inflatable boat from the French navy intelligence collection ship Dupuy de Lome (A 759) after Dunham acted as an escort for Dupuy De Lome through the Bab el-Mandeb strait. Dunham is 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. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Jonathan Clay/Released)