Jacob Holcombe, an F-35B Lightning II mechanic with the F-35 Rapid Response Team, Fleet Readiness Center East, cleans a bearing on the tail of an aircraft aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Makin Island (LHD 8), March 19. The Makin Island Ready Group and the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit 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 Cpl. Patrick Crosley)