GULF OF OMAN — Midshipman 3rd Class Robert Reiter, from Las Vegas, Nev., practices performing pre-fire checks on a close-in weapon system aboard the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Mason (DDG 87). Mason is deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet areas 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.