Seaman Thomas Hughes, from Moultrie, Ga., stands watch as a helmsman 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, according to the U.S. Navy.