180911-N-GR847-0077 GULF OF ADEN (Sept. 11, 2018) Boatswain’s Mate 3rd Class Javen Mellington directs cargo from the dry cargo and ammunition ship USNS Alan Shepard (T-AKE 3) onto the Whidbey Island-class amphibious dock landing ship USS Rushmore (LSD 47) during a connected replenishment while on a scheduled deployment of the Essex Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) and the 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 3rd Class Reymundo A. Villegas III/Released)