Sailors, Marines, and their families stationed at Naval Support Activity (NSA) Bahrain were visited by Ray Mabus, Secretary of the Navy (SECNAV) on April 25 to 26.

During his visit, the Navy Secretary reenlisted six Sailors and presented awards to six Sailors during an all-hands call on April 25. He then met with family members the following day.

Secretary Mabus said: “Everybody serves… It’s not just the Sailors; it’s not just the Marines; it’s the whole family that sacrifices and serves this country. By moving [to Bahrain] with the service member, there are certain sacrifices family members make. There are issues they’ve got to deal with and we’re here to try to understand those issues and where we can, give some help.”

Mabus also talked about how Sailors and Marines serving in Bahrain were promoting U.S. interests in the region, placing emphasis on how important this is, as well as how well they are carrying out this job. He said: “This is an incredibly important region in the world in the President’s new defense strategy… This area is one of the focuses of America and it is critical we continue to do this work in such a skilled way.”

The SECNAV dressed down for his visit, donning a pair of jeans, as his visit coincided with the observance of Denim Day, an occasion that aims to increase awareness regarding sexual assault. Mabus shared: “Sexual assault is one of the worst crimes that we face in the Navy and Marine Corps and it’s something we cannot put up with… It is an attack on a shipmate and it’s something that we all have a role in trying to prevent and make sure it has no place in the Navy and Marine Corps.”