Defense Secretary Thanks Troops During NAVCENT Visit

Photo By Petty Officer 2nd Class Dawson Roth | NAVAL SUPPORT ACTIVITY BAHRAIN (Sept. 8, 2021) Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, right, addresses U.S. and Bahraini personnel onboard Naval Support Activity Bahrain, Sept. 8. NAVCENT is the U.S. Navy element of U.S. Central Command in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations and encompasses about 2.5 million square miles of water area and includes the Arabian Gulf, Gulf of Oman, Red Sea and parts of the Indian Ocean. The expanse is comprised of 21 countries and includes three critical choke points at the Strait of Hormuz, the Suez Canal and the Strait of Bab al Mandeb at the southern tip of Yemen. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Dawson Roth)  

BAHRAIN

09.08.2021

Story by NAVCENT Public Affairs    

U.S. Naval Forces Central Command / U.S. 5th Fleet           

NAVAL SUPPORT ACTIVITY BAHRAIN – Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III visited U.S. Naval Forces Central Command (NAVCENT) headquarters, Sept. 8, during his first visit to Naval Support Activity Bahrain as secretary.

Austin met with Vice Adm. Brad Cooper, commander of NAVCENT, U.S. 5th Fleet and Combined Maritime Forces, as well as other personnel from the U.S. military and Bahrain Defense Force to thank them for helping evacuate U.S. citizens and people from Afghanistan.

NAVCENT stood up Task Force 58, Aug. 19, to help temporarily facilitate the safe transit of more than 7,000 evacuees traveling through Bahrain from Afghanistan. The task force included more than 1,400 U.S. and coalition personnel from various units operating in the 5th Fleet region.

Austin praised U.S., interagency, coalition and Bahraini personnel for providing critical assistance during the largest air evacuation of civilians in American history. U.S. Sailors, Marines, Soldiers, Airmen and Coast Guardsmen worked alongside U.S. Embassy, coalition and Bahraini counterparts to provide evacuees meals, short-term lodging and medical services at an intermediate staging base.

Prior to departing, Austin met with junior military and interagency personnel who ran day-to-day staging base support. He expressed gratitude for their compassion and commitment to helping those in need.

The U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations encompasses nearly 2.5 million square miles of water area and includes the Arabian Gulf, Gulf of Oman, Read Sea and parts of the Indian Ocean. The region is comprised of 21 countries and includes three choke points at the Strait of Hormuz, the Suez Canal and the Strait of Bab-al-Mandeb at the southern tip of Yemen.

• Date Taken: 09.08.2021
• Date Posted: 09.08.2021 09:05
• Story ID: 404678
• Location: BH