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Chief of Navy Reserve Visits Bahrain

Navy NewsStand

Story Number: NNS101111-11
11/11/2010

From U.S. Naval Forces Central Command Public Affairs

MANAMA, Bahrain (NNS) -- Chief of Navy Reserve held an all-hands call aboard Naval Support Activity (NSA) Bahrain Nov. 7.

Vice Adm. Dirk Debbink, chief of Navy Reserve addressed more than 100 NSA Bahrain and U.S. Navy Central Command (NAVCENT) Sailors during the event.

"The work you do here is very important," Debbink said. "Vice Adm. Mark Fox, [commander, U.S. Naval Forces Central Command] tells me this command could not do the work it does without the support of the Reserve component. Thank you for being out here, and accepting the challenge."

Debbink, who began his current assignment in July 2008, leads the Navy Reserve Force in providing strategic depth and delivering operational capabilities to the Navy and Marine Corps team, and joint forces in the full range of military operations from peace to war.

The Navy Reserve Force represents about 20 percent – approximately 65,000 men and women - of the Navy's total personnel; with more than 3,000 Sailors serving in the 5th Fleet area of responsibility (AOR).

Debbink also discussed his top priorities and the work he does at the Pentagon, with members of Congress, the Office of the Secretary of Defense and the Naval Operations staff.

"We are working on three very important areas: delivering a ready and accessible force, defining capabilities that combatant commanders want from the Navy Reserve, and enabling the continuum of service," he said.

Debbink visits Bahrain about once every six months to meet with Fox, the naval component commander, regarding Reserve support for Sailors in the U.S. 5th Fleet, said Capt. John McCracken, NAVCENT operational support officer.

McCracken coordinates Navy Reserve support throughout the theater.

"Historically, about half of the individual augmentations have come from the Navy's Reserve component," McCracken said. "The Reserve component is structured by the Navy to provide additional operational and strategic capability and capacity. The operational capacity of the Reserve component provides ready individuals for augmentation assignment and ready units for deployment throughout the AOR."

The all-hands call was an opportunity for Debbink to share information concerning a variety of topics with many of the 200 Navy Reservists serving in Bahrain.

"He touched on a number of different issues, including TRICARE Reserve Select and reduced retirement age for Reservists who serve on active duty during this time of national emergency," McCracken said. "He addressed recruiting, retention and advancement concerns for both active and Reserve components, and the initiatives that he briefs Congress on as part of his responsibilities."

Electronics Technician 1st Class Jose Arzuaga, one of several Reservists who reported to Bahrain from Navy Operational Support Center, Chicago for two weeks of annual training Nov. 7, attended the all-hands call.

"The admiral talked about important issues that concern all of us," he said. "We got valuable information, such as changes to tuition assistance, and changes to the limited duty officer and chief warrant officer programs. He hit a lot of key notes that are concerns of my shipmates back at home, and I will be passing that information on to them."