ARABIAN SEA – U.S. Marines with Combat Cargo, Essex

ARABIAN SEA – U.S. Marines with Combat Cargo, Essex Amphibious Ready Group (ARG), prepare to receive supplies during a regularly scheduled vertical replenishment-at-sea aboard the Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Essex (LHD 2), Oct. 8, 2018. The Essex is the flagship for the Essex ARG and, with the embarked 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit, is 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 the Pacific through the western Indian Ocean and three strategic choke points. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. A. J. Van Fredenberg/Released)