Bahrain Desert Times (497) - June 2023

U.S., Iraq, Kuwait Conduct Third Joint Patrol in Arabian Gulf

By NAVCENT Public Affairs

Maritime forces from Iraq, Kuwait and the United States completed a joint patrol in the Arabian Gulf, June 6, marking the third time in less than a year the three nations sailed together to promote regional maritime security.

U.S. Navy mine countermeasures ship USS Gladiator (MCM 11) operated with patrol boat P-312 from Iraq as well as Kuwait’s missile-attack craft Failaka (P3715). The three nations previously conducted similar exercises in the Arabian Gulf in December and August last year.

Gladiator is a mine countermeasures ship designed to clear mines from vital waterways. The ship is forward-deployed to Bahrain where U.S. 5th Fleet is headquartered.

The U.S. 5th Fleet operating area includes 21 countries, the Arabian Gulf, Gulf of Oman, Red Sea, parts of the Indian Ocean and three critical choke points at the Strait of Hormuz, Bab al-Mandeb and Suez Canal.

Task Force 52 Welcomes New Commander

By NAVCENT Public Affairs

The task force responsible for U.S. 5th Fleet’s mine countermeasures mission welcomed a new commander during a change of command ceremony at the U.S. Navy base in Bahrain, June 8.

Capt. Robert Porter relieved Capt. Oscar Rojas as commander of Task Force 52 at the ceremony. Rojas began leading task force in March 2021.

“Everything we accomplished together was done so with the

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utmost care and commitment,” said Rojas to Task Force 52 staff members at the ceremony. “I couldn’t have asked for a better group of men and women to serve alongside before my retirement.”

Under Rojas’s leadership, Task Force 52 conducted 65 multinational exercises, including 37 with counterparts from the United Kingdom Royal Navy which has representation on the task force staff.

Rojas also successfully

deployed Bahrain-based minesweepers during an historic 5,000-mile transit from the Arabian Gulf to the Red Sea in 2021. The journey marked the first time the voyage was completed in seven years for U.S. Navy mine countermeasures ships. Porter assumes command after previously serving as chief of staff for Mine Countermeasures Squadron 7 in Sasebo, Japan.

“I look forward to taking command of this extraordinary

mine countermeasures task force during this time of unparalleled innovation and change,” said Porter. “I am excited about the new systems and technologies coming to us and how we can best use them as force multipliers.”

The U.S. 5th Fleet operating area includes 21 countries, the Arabian Gulf, Gulf of Oman, Red Sea, parts of the Indian Ocean and three critical choke points at the Strait of Hormuz, Bab al-Mandeb and Suez Canal.

Photo by Cpl. Jensen Guillory

Photos by Petty Officer 2nd Class Jacob Vernier

CONGRATS TO ALL OF OUR SUMMER 2023 FROCKEES! BRAVO ZULU SHIPMATES!

CONGRATS TO ALL OF OUR SUMMER 2023 FROCKEES!

BRAVO ZULU SHIPMATES!

439-4520

www.cnic.navy.mil/bahrain

Commanding Officer

Naval Support Activity Bahrain

Capt. William Lane

NSA Bahrain Executive Officer

Cmdr. Ernesto Rivera

Public Affairs Officer

Chief Editor

Lt. Nicolas Mahone

Deputy Public Affairs Officer

Mark C. Mosher

Mass Communication Specialist

1st Class Sean Gallagher

Host Nation Public Affairs Director

Ameera Al-Kooheji

The Bahrain Desert Times is an authorized publication primarily for members of the Navy and Marine Corps military services in Bahrain. Its contents do not necessarily reflect the official views of the U.S. Government, the Department of Defense, the U.S. Navy or Marine Corps and do not imply endorsement thereof.

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ALIGN WITH THE SPINE!

By, LCDR D. Ryan Williams Command Chaplain, TF 51/5

As we all know, most places on NSA 1 can be located with reference to our great landmark: The Spine. The spine is the central vein to NSA, providing an excellent walking path which makes most major facilities on base accessible to its inhabitants. You could almost say the spine is like the backbone of the base; a reliable path that we can always count on to lead us to our destination—whether to grab a shawarma, get our rent check from Navy Fed, work out in the gym, or get some snacks from the NEX—the spine will get us there.

Recently I was cleaning my desk and came across my copy of “A Message to Garcia” and found something in there that bore a striking resemblance to our steady spine. In the beginning of his book, Elbert Hubbard extols the qualities of the man named Rowan, who was chosen to deliver a message from President McKinley to the Spanish insurgent leader, Garcia. Hubbard wrote,

“There is a man whose form should be cast in deathless bronze and the statue placed in every college of the land. It is not booklearning young men (and women) need, nor instruction about this and that, but a stiffening of the vertebrae which will cause them to be loyal to a trust, to act promptly, concentrate their energies: do the thing—‘carry a message to Garcia’”.

Perhaps there’s a hidden chiropractor at work here who has aligned spines, vertebrae, and deeply powerful human values! I’d like to capture some of the values Hubbard illuminates in his writing and consider how these values, just like our NSA spine can keep us aligned on the path we should be on. Hubbard’s alignment includes LOYALTY, ACTION, and MISSION ACCOMPLISHMENT.

Loyalty aligns nicely with our Navy, USMC, and USCG value of honor. Have you ever headed down the spine to grab a smoothie in the NEX, only to discover that the spine led you astray to another destination? I doubt it. The Spine is loyal. We can be as well; let’s align with loyalty!

Action is one of the Spine’s premier qualities. Just look at it—it goes on and on in a straight path ahead! Let’s be honest, there are lots of other roads paved only with good intentions that lead elsewhere…not even sure google maps could navigate some of them. Action means to DO something today that we know is good for us and others, even if it’s hard. Practicing ACTION on a regular basis creates a well-worn path and produces a reliable source of strength even during the most challenging times in life. Let’s align with action!

Finally, notice how the spine is not just reliable from building 100 to the housing office, or even the shawarma truck…the spine follows through to its end. Honorable action, completed over and over, will lead to mission accomplishment. Just like Rowan, who delivered the message through a hostile and depraved landscape, we can align with the value of honorably accomplishing the various missions we are given.

So, my fellow spine-travelers, as stride along our base backbone today, tomorrow and throughout the week please consider our own spine and moral set of vertebrae. Be the best person you can be. Choose honor, action, and honorable mission accomplishment. Align with the Spine! Have a great week!

New MOVIES at the MWR Cinema

The Little Mermaid (PG) – 2h 15m

The youngest of King Triton's daughters, Ariel is a beautiful and spirited young mermaid with a thirst for adventure. Longing to find out more about the world beyond the sea, Ariel visits the surface and falls for the dashing Prince Eric. Following her heart, she makes a deal with the evil sea witch, Ursula, to experience life on land.

| Cast: Halle Bailey, Jonah Hauer-King, Melissa McCarthy, Jessica Alexander

Spider-Man: Across the Spider Verse (PG) – 2h 20m

After reuniting with Gwen Stacy, Brooklyn's full-time, friendly neighborhood Spider-Man is catapulted across the Multiverse, where he encounters a team of Spider-People charged with protecting its very existence. However, when the heroes clash on how to handle a new threat, Miles finds himself pitted against the other Spiders. He must soon redefine what it means to be a hero so he can save the people he loves most.

| Cast: Hailee Steinfeld, Shameik Moore, Oscar Isaac, Daniel Kaluuya

Flash (PG-13) – 2h 24m

Worlds collide when the Flash uses his superpowers to travel back in time to change the events of the past. However, when his attempt to save his family inadvertently alters the future, he becomes trapped in a reality in which General Zod has returned, threatening annihilation. With no other superheroes to turn to, the Flash looks to coax a very different Batman out of retirement and rescue an imprisoned Kryptonian -- albeit not the one he's looking for.

| Cast: Ezra Miller, Michael Keaton, Ben Affleck, Sasha Calle

Transformers: Rise of the Beasts

(PG-13) – 2h 7m

Optimus Prime and the Autobots take on their biggest challenge yet. When a new threat capable of destroying the entire planet emerges, they must team up with a powerful faction of Transformers known as the Maximals to save Earth.

| Cast: Anthony Ramos, Liza Koshy, Peter Cullen, Pete Davidson

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Handled with Care, Treated with Excellence

DR. DEENA SHAKEEB

Consultant - Pediatrics & Neonatology

Clinical Expertise

• Neonatal & Perinatal Care

• Medical Care for Critically Ill Infants

• Management of Newborns with Life-threatening Conditions

• Antenatal Consultation for High-risk Pregnancies

• Follow up on Preterm Babies

• Children’s Growth & Nutrition Assessment

• Care of Acute Pediatric Cases up to the Age of 12 Years

• Vaccinations