ARABIAN GULF (March 4, 2021) U.S. Marine Corps Lt. Col. Joseph Begley, executive officer of the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), participates in a fast-rope event in the hangar bay of the expeditionary sea base USS Lewis B. Puller (ESB 3), in the Arabian Gulf. 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 Sgt. Sarah Stegall)