180907-N-NB142-0074 GULF OF ADEN (Sept. 7 2018) Aviation Maintenance Administrationman 2nd Class Estevan Rodriguez and Aviation Ordnanceman 3rd Class Weihua Liu man a .50-caliber machine gun mount while participating in a small craft attack team drill aboard Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Essex (LHD 2) during a regularly scheduled deployment with the Essex Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) and 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU). The Essex ARG/13th MEU is a lethal, flexible, and persistent Navy-Marine Corps team 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 2nd Class Chandler Harrell/Released)