BAB EL-MANDEB STRAIT (March 19, 2021) Cpl. Issac Gomez, a AH-1Z Viper mechanic assigned to Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 164 (Reinforced), 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), inspects an AH-1Z Viper aboard the amphibious transport dock ship USS Somerset (LPD 25) during a Bab el-Mandeb Strait transit with the guided-missile destroyer USS Mahan (DDG 72), March 19, 2021. 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 and Pacific through the western Indian Ocean and three strategic choke points. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Brendan Mullin)