080211-N-3925A-003 PERSIAN GULF (Feb. 11, 2008) The guided-missile destroyer USS Winston S. Churchill (DDG 81), assigned to the U.S. 5th Fleet, patrols the Persian Gulf. U.S. and coalition forces maintain a naval and air presence in the region to deter destabilizing activities and safeguard the region's vital links to the global economy. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Grant P. Ammon (Released)