Local Affairs Editor
The American Maritime Support Base in Bahrain yesterday witnessed the leadership switching ceremony for the leadership of the US Navy in the region and the Fifth Fleet, in the presence of senior officers, diplomats and representatives of the countries participating in the joint marine tasks force.
The former commander of the US Navy at the Central Command and the Fifth Fleet, Deputy Admiral George M. And Aikov, his pride in what was achieved during his leadership since February 2024, praising the close cooperation between the US Navy and the regional and international coalition forces to ensure the security of maritime navigation and global trade.
Wikov explained that the joint maritime alliance consisting of 47 countries represents a global model in coordination to face terrorist challenges and maritime threats, stressing that these partnerships are based on trust and mutual respect, and are a basis for achieving stability and security in the region, praising the former commander of the professional commitment to sailors and officers and their families, and their pivotal role in the success of daily tasks and raising the readiness of the forces.
Wikov also praised the long history of maritime cooperation between the United States and the countries of the region, reviewing the most prominent maritime operations and tasks in which the forces participated during the past years, which contributed to preserving freedom of navigation and protecting global maritime trade from terrorist threats and maritime piracy.
He stressed that every success achieved by the navy is the product of teamwork and close coordination between all maritime and international units participating in the alliance. On his part, the new commander of the Fifth Fifth Fleet, the Admiral Curt A. expressed. Rinshu, his happiness at the leadership of the leadership, praising the period and achievements of the former leader, and affirming his commitment to continuing to strengthen partnerships with friendly and partner countries to enhance security and maritime stability.
Rinshou explained that the permanent readiness, continuous training and high vigilance are the basic pillars to ensure the success of maritime tasks in the region, noting that the true power of the US Navy lies in dedication, discipline, accuracy of sailors, officers and coast guards.
The new commander stressed the importance of cooperation and marine partnerships is not as an option, but rather as a necessity to ensure maritime security in a strategic vital area, pledging to work alongside partner countries to maintain stability and promote global maritime security.
He stressed that the maritime alliance is the first line of defense for the protection of trade and maritime navigation, and that the participation of each country in it contributes to the power of deterrence and the sustainability of peace.
Rinshu concluded his speech by emphasizing that future challenges require permanent and integrity between all human and technical elements, and that investing in training, maneuvers and operational capabilities is a basis for ensuring the readiness of the navy to face any potential threats, whether terrorist or natural.
The ceremony witnessed the honoring of the former commander and the exchange of leadership symbols with the new commander, in an event that reflects the military traditions and the continuous commitment to the development of the US Navy and the enhancement of their capabilities in the region, in an atmosphere of respect and mutual appreciation among all the participants.
It is worth noting that the Admiral Curt A. Rinshu, the new commander of the Fifth Fleet and the US Navy at the Central Command, was born in New Albanian, Indiana, graduated in 1990 from the US Navy Academy with a Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry, and obtained a master’s degree in operating research from the High Marine School.
His maritime career included multiple positions on warships, such as USS Shiloh, USS Anzio, USS Patriot, USS Independence, UsS Robert Smalls, and led a group of aircraft carriers (Carrier Strike Group 8).
Rinshu also held administrative and leadership positions on land, including the director of operations at the Central Command, the deputy commander of the navy in the Central Command, an executive assistant to the deputy head of the Naval Operations, and a special assistant to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Rinshu won several appreciation prizes, most notably the Premier Defense Service Medal, the Military Fadl Medal, and the Merit Medal of Maritime, in addition to multiple unit and service prizes. The former commander of the Admiral George M. George M. Wikov is one of the most prominent US Navy, born in New Bronzwek, New Jersey, where he graduated in 1990 from the Catholic University in the United States, and obtained a master’s degree from Arkansas University.
Wikov held several naval and leadership positions, his leadership included swarms on board USS America and USS Kitty Hawk, and he also led the Carrier Strike Group 5 aircraft group scattered in Yokosuka, Japan, and worked in many lands on land that includes the Topgun Maritime Center and the Topgun Training Department, in addition to his work In the Central Naval Forces Command and the Marine Operations Center in Bahrain.
