INDIAN OCEAN (Dec. 25, 2020) Rear Adm. Jim Kirk, left, commander of Carrier Strike Group 11, Capt. Todd Cimicata, commander of Carrier Air Wing 17, second from left, and Capt. Max Clark, commanding officer of the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68), along with senior Sailors of the year, participate in a phone call with Vice President Mike Pence aboard Nimitz. Nimitz, the flagship of 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)