NAVAL SUPPORT ACTIVITY BAHRAIN (May 5, 2021) Vice Adm. Sam Paparo, left, commander, U.S. Naval Forces Central Command (NAVCENT), U.S. 5th Fleet and Combined Maritime Forces (CMF), is relieved by Vice Adm. Brad Cooper, right, during a change of command ceremony presided over by Gen. Frank McKenzie, commander of U.S. Central Command, onboard Naval Support Activity Bahrain, May 5. NAVCENT is the U.S. Navy element of U.S. Central Command in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations and encompasses about 2.5 million square miles of water area and includes the Arabian Gulf, Gulf of Oman, Red Sea and parts of the Indian Ocean. The expanse is comprised of 20 countries and includes three critical choke points at the Strait of Hormuz, the Suez Canal and the Strait of Bab al Mandeb at the southern tip of Yemen. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Daniel Hinton)