180902-M-LQ865-1089 INDIAN OCEAN (Sept. 2, 2018) U.S. Marines and U.S. Navy Sailors with Lima Company, Battalion Landing Team (BLT) 3/1, 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), walk toward an MH-60S helicopter to practice fast roping aboard the Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Essex (LHD 2), Sept. 2, 2018. Essex is the flagship for the Essex ARG and, with the embarked 13th MEU, 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. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. A. J. Van Fredenberg/Released)