181217-M-HH269-0047 U.S. FIFTH FLEET AREA OF OPERATIONS (Dec. 17, 2018) Marines assigned to the Command Element, 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), prepare to fire on their targets during a pistol qualification aboard the Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Essex (LHD 2). Essex is the flagship for the Essex Amphibious Ready Group and, with the embarked 13th MEU, is deployed to the U.S. Fifth 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 Staff Sgt. Joshua Jackson/Released)