“We are extremely pleased with the policy change,“ said Vice Adm. Bill Gortney, commander, NAVCENT. “The return of family members of all ages is an extremely important sign of the security and stability in the region. It will also greatly improve the quality of life for our service members and DoD civilians.“

This decision marks the second step to change a DoD policy that has been in place since July 2004 when families were required to relocate following security concerns. The return of adult family members, announced late last year, was the first step in a phased process to bring back DoD family members of all ages to Bahrain.

Most NAVCENT personnel currently serve 12-month unaccompanied tours in Bahrain, with some billets designated as 18-month tours. This latest decision will authorize military members to be stationed in Bahrain for accompanied tours with their families for up to two years.

“The Embassy and NAVCENT have put a lot of work into ensuring the return of DoD children to Bahrain. Their presence here helps strengthen relations between our two countries. We are very pleased about their return and look forward to their positive contributions to the society and economy of Bahrain,“ U.S. Ambassador J. Adam Ereli said.

Operations in the NAVCENT Area of Responsibility are focused on reassuring regional partners of the United States' commitment to security, which promotes stability and global prosperity.