The Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) commander hosted a conference onboard Naval Station Bahrain for more than 150 multi-national military leaders representing 31 partner nations.
Vice Adm. Chris Aquilino, commander of U.S. Naval Forces Central Command/U.S. 5th Fleet/Combined Maritime Forces, kicked off the semi-annual Maritime Security Conference by discussing the importance of international partnerships and alliances in the region in order to combat counter piracy and all potential threats to maritime security in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations.
He made a point to highlight the hard work and dedication of the Combined Maritime Forces and the value of their role in the region.
“This group can get together and operate seamlessly for all the right reasons,” said Aquilino. “So I continue to hold this force up as an example and beacon of what right looks like in the world when it comes to operations and maritime security.”
The objective of this year’s conference was for multi-national leaders to actively communicate about challenges, solutions and, ultimately, the way forward in maritime strategy. The members were dispersed into working groups, which assisted in streamlining the discussion topics.
Read more at U.S. Naval Forces Central Command
