A sailor's view from the Middle East
Brad DeFlumeri
Issue date: 1/30/08 Section: Editorial / Opinion
I write to the UMass community from the Kingdom of Bahrain, a tiny country to the east of Saudi Arabia, the hub of naval activity in U.S. Central Command and an important strategic position to the two-front war being fought in Iraq and Afghanistan. Bahrain is home to a multitude of U.S. forces: active-duty soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines, reservists, national guardsmen and the often forgotten but inescapably important contractors and civilian support personnel.
These men and women are selfless and mission-oriented. They stand 24-hour watches without coffee breaks or time clocks. This New Year's holiday, while countless Americans passively enjoyed the freedom their forces are providing, these men and women were working through the night to ensure that our ships in the Persian Gulf - and our troops on the ground - were properly equipped and supported to help win the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The men and women with whom I work are serving under the flag of U.S. Naval Forces Central Command - NAVCENT for short - and they primarily provide logistics support to Marines and naval and joint forces ships. They approach their job with the sobering seriousness such an awesome task demands. They serve under three-star Vice Admiral Kevin Cosgriff. Their morale is high and their sense of responsibility and service is even more so. They often encounter sailors and Marines who were deployed to the ground in Iraq and they know firsthand that what they do - and how well they do it - directly affects our warfighters on the ground.
I want to thank them - and all Central Command Service members - for their dedication to the important mission currently being undertaken in Iraq. As our latest American hero, General David Petraeus, recently asserted, our troops in CENTCOM have indeed been equal to every task thrown their way. Moreover, they have shown commendable will, intelligence and motivation even as the nature of the fight continues to change and pose new challenges. The efforts of those serving in this area of responsibility have directly contributed to the stability of Iraq, and continue to effect social and economic benefits for moderate and well-meaning Muslims - and natives in general - throughout the region.
These men and women are selfless and mission-oriented. They stand 24-hour watches without coffee breaks or time clocks. This New Year's holiday, while countless Americans passively enjoyed the freedom their forces are providing, these men and women were working through the night to ensure that our ships in the Persian Gulf - and our troops on the ground - were properly equipped and supported to help win the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The men and women with whom I work are serving under the flag of U.S. Naval Forces Central Command - NAVCENT for short - and they primarily provide logistics support to Marines and naval and joint forces ships. They approach their job with the sobering seriousness such an awesome task demands. They serve under three-star Vice Admiral Kevin Cosgriff. Their morale is high and their sense of responsibility and service is even more so. They often encounter sailors and Marines who were deployed to the ground in Iraq and they know firsthand that what they do - and how well they do it - directly affects our warfighters on the ground.
I want to thank them - and all Central Command Service members - for their dedication to the important mission currently being undertaken in Iraq. As our latest American hero, General David Petraeus, recently asserted, our troops in CENTCOM have indeed been equal to every task thrown their way. Moreover, they have shown commendable will, intelligence and motivation even as the nature of the fight continues to change and pose new challenges. The efforts of those serving in this area of responsibility have directly contributed to the stability of Iraq, and continue to effect social and economic benefits for moderate and well-meaning Muslims - and natives in general - throughout the region.
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