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THE US Navy's most senior civilian has promised to fully support and back the sailors and marines based in Bahrain.
The Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus made his first visit to Naval Support Activity Bahrain since taking up his role last month and heralded the work of his nation's 'away team' on the high seas.
Mr Mabus, 61, came to the kingdom to meet with command leaders, conduct an all-hands call with sailors and marines stationed at US Naval Forces Central Command and NSA Bahrain, as well as to tour the island's Department of Defence Dependent School.
"I wanted to come to Bahrain to visit this facility and spend some time with the sailors and marines here who are doing the job day-to-day and making a difference here locally, around the world and especially at home in the US," he said.
"I have been very impressed with the level of professionalism, dedication and joint-service unity in mission among everyone here."
The Secretary of the Navy is the civilian head of the US Department of the Navy and is responsible for recruiting, organising, supplying, equipping, training and mobilising. As well as overseeing the construction, outfitting and repair of naval ships, equipment and facilities, he is responsible for the formulation and implementation of policies and programmes that are consistent with the US national security policies and objectives established by President Obama and Secretary of Defence Gates.
The former governor of the US state of Mississippi is no stranger to the Middle East. He was the US Ambassador to neighbouring Saudi Arabia from 1994 to 1996. He spoke of the challenges the Navy and Marine Corps team is facing in keeping the sea lanes open, combating piracy and fighting against violent extremism around the globe.
"What you do is so important to the world and America," he added. "We are always the away team - we are always forward deployed.
"We are always ready for whatever mission comes along. We have got to be flexible, we have to be quick and we have got to be able to change missions.
"The only way we are going to meet these challenges are with highly-skilled, highly-trained, highly-motivated sailors and marines.
"My job is to ensure you have the right tools at the right time with the right training to accomplish your mission here in Bahrain, and around the world."
Mr Mabus also spoke about his duty as their secretary, where his ultimate concerns lie, and how he is honoured to hold the position.
"I hope the one thing I won't ever forget is who I represent as secretary of the navy - I represent the sailors and marines, deployed and ashore, those who are out there doing the job - that is who I need to be mindful of and stand up for," he explained. "I can't tell you how proud and honoured I am to have this job.
"For what you do every day, the people of America owe you a huge debt that they can never actually pay or understand," he said. "You can be perfectly proud of the accomplishments that you individually and you as a group are doing here and around the world."
The secretary's visit to NSA Bahrain was well received by sailors and marines stationed in the kingdom. "I think it's very exciting that the SECNAV would come to visit Bahrain because he's the top person in the Navy," said Yeoman 2nd Class Shenena Jones, who works in the NAVCENT Administration Department's Awards section.
"It also makes me feel good because he understands that we're doing a job every day that is very important to the United States, so it's great that he would come here and meet with us. It shows he cares about us."
