171001-N-ZS023-086 BAB EL MANDEB STRAIT (Oct. 1, 2017) Aviation Ordnanceman 3rd Class Jake Hurlock, assigned to the amphibious assault ship USS America (LHA 6), loads a Mark 38 machine gun on weathering deck during the ship’s transit through the Bab El Mandeb Strait. America is the flagship of its amphibious ready group, which is deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations in support of maritime security operations to reassure allies and partners and preserve the freedom of navigation and the free flow of commerce in the region. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Vance Hand/Released)