181022-N-UX013-1002 STRAIT OF HORMUZ (Oct. 22, 2018) The expeditionary mobile base platform ship USS Lewis B. Puller (ESB 3) transits the Strait of Hormuz, Oct. 22, 2018. Puller 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 Specialists 3rd Class Jonathan Clay/Released)