ARABIAN SEA-Two CH-53E Super Stallion Helicopters with Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 166 Reinforced, 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit, launch flares during a training exercise, Oct. 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. 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. Photo By: Staff Sgt. Joshua Jackson