U.S. 5th FLEET AREA OF OPERATIONS – U.S. Marines and Sailors with the Essex Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) and the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) aboard the Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Essex (LHD 2) conduct flight deck operations in support of the F-35B's first combat strike, Sept. 27, 2018. The Essex is the flagship for the Essex Amphibious Ready Group and, with the embarked 13th MEU, is deployed to the U.S. Fifth Fleet area of operations in support of naval operations to ensure maritime stability and security in the Central Region, connecting the Mediterranean and the Pacific through the western Indian Ocean and three strategic choke points.