INDIAN OCEAN (Dec. 25, 2020) Capt. Max Clark, commanding officer of the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68), facilitates a 1MC address for Vice President Mike Pence to address Sailors and Marines 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 2nd Class Greg Hall)