Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Adm. Jonathan Greenert and staff visited Naval Station (NS) Guantanamo Bay, Aug. 27.
During his brief visit he toured various Naval Station and Joint Task Force facilities to include the desalination plant and the detainee hospital.
Following the base tour, he commenced an all-hands call by reenlisting four Sailors and awarding the Enlisted Information Dominance pin to three Sailors.
He then provided the audience consisting of Sailors from Naval Station, Joint Task Force, Marine Corps Security Force Company and U.S. Naval Hospital with a current events run-down and detailed some of the many conflicts bubbling up around the globe and the how important the Navy’s presence is.
“The vast majority of what the Navy supports is being forward and being where it matters and when it matters, which brings me to the importance of Guantanamo Bay,” said Greenert. “Naval Station Guantanamo Bay is going to be around for a long time. Often people think that if the Joint Task Force leaves then the Naval Station will be shut down but that is not the case. We can repair and restock ships here and enable them to carry out the mission of the Southern Command. Also, at this very location they have an air field, we have a natural deep port, we have piers and we have room to grow. This base is really an essential part of our future not only in the SOUTHCOM arena but broadly worldwide. This base is strategically very important to the Navy.”
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