GULF OF ADEN – U.S. Marine Cpl. Edward Baum, a motor

GULF OF ADEN – U.S. Marine Cpl. Edward Baum, a motor transportation operator with Combat Logistics Battalion 13, 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), performs a speed reload during a live-fire deck shoot, aboard the Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Essex (LHD 2), September 7, 2018. The Essex is the flagship for the Essex Amphibious Ready Group and, with the embarked 13th MEU, 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 Staff Sgt. Joshua Jackson/Released)