Bahrain: Three new buildings to house thousands of American military personnel have been constructed as part of a $580 million expansion of the US naval base in Bahrain.
Work on expanding Naval Support Activity (NSA) Bahrain operations, which started in 2010, is on schedule as it aims to support coalition forces and maintain maritime security in the region.
The three barracks are located in the new extension, called NSA II, in Mina Salman and are among a wide range of construction projects and logistical and security support facilities.
The project will double the size of US military presence in Bahrain and comes at a time when the Fifth Fleet is heavily involved in Operation Inherent Resolve against militant extremists, the Islamic State (IS), in Syria and Iraq.
“The [US] Navy is executing several construction projects involving housing, logistics, security and operational support as part of an overall improvement plan for the installation,” said a spokesman from NSA Bahrain.
“The focus of infrastructure development for the past several years has been at the Mina Salman waterfront where, in 2010, we began building a world-class naval port facility.”
In 2014, the existing base was connected to the new facility by a flyover over the Shaikh Khalifa bin Salman Causeway without disrupting traffic movement.
The multi-million dollar expansion also included a $480,000 school-age care facility with the capacity to support 75 primary school age children, which opened last year.
However, the spokesman said there were no immediate plans to further expand the size of NSA Bahrain.
“The overall development is approximately 60 per cent complete,” he added.
“Bahrain construction and contracting firms have played a substantial role in the projects.
“These investments will further [improve] the ability of NSA Bahrain to support US and coalition forces to provide maritime security in the region.”
NSA Bahrain occupies 137 acres of land in Juffair, and hosts more than 90 tenant commands, including US Naval Forces Central Command and the Fifth Fleet.
“The improvements and development that are taking place on NSA II are currently being completed within the $580m budget,” explained the spokesman.
“Several housing and service facilities will be completed later this year or early next year.
“The final completion date for other infrastructure related projects is slated for 2020.”
The base population has also almost doubled from about 3,000 US personnel in 2008 to 8,000 presently, reflecting increasing presence of the forces in the region.
“NSA Bahrain supports around 8,000 military and Department of Defence (DoD) civilian employees and family members,” said the spokesman.
“The number of authorised accompanied tours for service members to bring their families to live with them in Bahrain has not changed.”
He added that more than 4,000 housing lease agreements were provided for US service members and their families.
Service members living off base in Bahrain now have the option to live in a fully furnished flat on a month-to-month lease upon arrival, while they await shipment and delivery of their household goods.
The new rule replaces the existing one where new service members and their families stayed in local hotels and were reimbursed through a Temporary Lodging Allowance (TLA) while they searched for permanent accommodation.
The spokesman said by moving into a month-to-month leased flat, members can immediately use their Overseas Housing Allowance (OHA).
“Unfortunately, some of these (DoD) members have experienced delays in the shipment of their household goods, causing them and their families to be without furnishings when they first move in,” he added.
“Fortunately, the Bahrain rental market offers an abundance of fully furnished properties, which provides these members and their families a short-term option while they await the delivery of their household goods.”
The GDN previously reported that former US Naval Forces Central Command and US Fifth Fleet Commander Vice Admiral John Miller said the new modifications of the base would allow in new littoral combat ships (LCS), which are due to be operational in the Gulf by 2018.
The LCS is a fast, agile, focused-mission platform designed for operation in near-shore environments.
It is designed to defeat asymmetric anti-access threats, such as mines, quiet diesel submarines and fast surface craft.
The US Navy plays a key role in maintaining maritime security in the region, conducting anti-piracy measures, guarding against Iranian threats and protecting major maritime choke-points in the world – the Suez Canal, the Strait of Bab Al Mandeb and the Strait of Hormuz.
The Fifth Fleet has also been providing logistical and operational support to the US-led coalition against IS, conducting airstrikes in Iraq and Syria as part of Operation Inherent Resolve, which Bahrain is part of.
sandy@gdn.com.bh
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