ARABIAN SEA (Dec. 15, 2020) Capt. Max Clark, commanding officer of the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68), fires an M4A1 carbine during a qualification course aboard Nimitz. Nimitz, the flagship of the Nimitz Carrier Strike Group, is deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations to ensure maritime stability and security in the Central Region, connecting the Mediterranean and Pacific through the western Indian Ocean and three critical chokepoints to the free flow of global commerce. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Charles DeParlier)