ARABIAN GULF (Dec. 10, 2020) Machinist's Mate 3rd Class Jonathan Downs mans a fuel hose during flight operations aboard the guided-missile destroyer USS John Paul Jones (DDG 53) in the Arabian Gulf. John Paul Jones is part of the Nimitz Carrier Strike Group is deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations in support of naval operations to ensure maritime stability and security in the Central Region, connecting the Mediterranean Sea and the Pacific Ocean through the western Indian Ocean and three strategic choke points critical to the free flow of global commerce. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Aja Bleu Jackson)