BAB EL-MANDEB STRAIT (Feb. 27, 2021) A U.S. Marine Corps UH-1Y Venom attached to Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron (Reinforced), 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), flies alongside the amphibious transport dock ship USS Somerset (LPD 25), during a Bab el-Mandeb Strait transit. Somerset, part of the Makin Island Amphibious Ready Group, and the 15th MEU are 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 Pacific Ocean through the western Indian Ocean and three strategic choke points. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Brendan Mullin)