180920-M-MR595-1079 GULF OF ADEN (Sept. 20, 2018) Marines assigned to Combat Logistics Battalion 13, 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), wait for the offload of landing craft utility 1680 aboard the Whidbey Island-class dock landing ship USS Rushmore (LSD 47), Sept. 20, 2018. The Essex Amphibious Ready Group and 13th MEU 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 Cpl. Danny Gonzalez/Released)