Manama, Bahrain — Greensburg native, Jacob Atkinson is part of a team working to maintain a naval base in one of the world’s most volatile regions.
Seebee, Atkinson is an electrcian at the Manama, Bahrain Navy base, forward deployed to the Arabian Gulf as part of Navy’s 5th Fleet. The area of operation encompasses about 2.5 million square miles of water including the Arabian Gulf, Gulf of Oman, Red Sea and portions of the Indian Ocean. Strategic choke points like the Straight of Hormuz, the Suez Canal and the Strait of Bab al Mandeb at the southern tip of Yemen are also in the operations area.
“I’m proud to be a Seebee,” said Atkinson. “As a constructionman, I do general electrical maintenance and install or remove any electrical equipment. I like being a Seabee. I can walk across this base and see work we’ve done to improve life here. Presently, we are installing LED lights, which can save significant money for the Navy. What I like about this command is that it’s like family,” said Atkinson. “I’ve learned about Islam and its people. The culture here is very different, but I’ve really come to appreciate it.”
Members of the naval construction force in Bahrain provide support to U.S. and coalition forces operating throughout the 5th Fleet’s area of operation.
