181206-N-ER806-1321 INDIAN OCEAN (Dec. 6, 2018) Yeoman 2nd Class Alexander Beirao, from Clark, New Jersey, fires an M2 .50-caliber machine gun during a live-fire exercise aboard the guided-missile cruiser USS Mobile Bay (CG 53) in the Indian Ocean, Dec. 6, 2018. Mobile Bay, part of the John C. Stennis Carrier Strike Group, 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 Specialist 3rd Class Nick Bauer)