NAVAL SUPPORT ACTIVITY BAHRAIN – Petty Officer 2nd Class MaryAnn Demelo, a Layton, Utah, native, joined the Navy to serve her country and to see the world.
Now, two years later and half a world away at Naval Support Activity (NSA) Bahrain, Demelo serves as the leading-edge of the Navy the nation needs.
“I think being so far away from home has been difficult, but it is a truly rewarding experience for me,” said Demelo.
Demelo, a 2016 graduate of Davis High School, is a master-at-arms at NSA Bahrain, forward-deployed to the Arabian Gulf region in the Navy’s U.S. 5th Fleet.
“As a master-at-arms, I am responsible for protecting the base and everyone on it from harm,” said Demelo.
Demelo credits success in Bahrain, and in the Navy, to many of the lessons learned in Layton.
“Growing up in a small town I learned to work hard and in turn your efforts will be rewarded,” said Demelo.
U.S. 5th Fleet directs naval operations to ensure maritime security and stability in the Central Region, which connects the Mediterranean Sea and Pacific Ocean through the western Indian Ocean. They work with partner nations to ensure freedom of navigation and the free flow of commerce in international waterways.
NSA Bahrain enables the forward operations and responsiveness of U.S. 5th Fleet and allied forces in support of Navy Region Europe, Africa and Southwest Asia's mission to provide services to the fleet, warfighter and family.
“I work in the training department and I am the first face new check-ins see when they get here,” said Demelo. “I am responsible to train all watch standers to protect the base.”
The Navy’s U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations encompasses about 2.5 million square miles of ocean, and includes the Arabian Gulf, Gulf of Oman, Red Sea and parts of the Indian Ocean. This expanse, comprised of 20 countries, includes three critical choke points; the Strait of Hormuz, the Suez Canal and the Strait of Bab al Mandeb at the southern tip of Yemen.
“The Middle East is such a melting pot of culture,” said Demelo. “I have met so many great people from all over the world in my time here.”
Serving in the Navy means Demelo is part of a world that is taking on new importance in America’s focus on rebuilding military readiness, strengthening alliances and reforming business practices in support of the National Defense Strategy.
A key element of the Navy the nation needs is tied to the fact that America is a maritime nation, and that the nation’s prosperity is tied to the ability to operate freely on the world’s oceans. More than 70 percent of the Earth’s surface is covered by water; 80 percent of the world’s population lives close to a coast; and 90 percent of all global trade by volume travels by sea.
“Our priorities center on people, capabilities and processes, and will be achieved by our focus on speed, value, results and partnerships,” said Secretary of the Navy Richard V. Spencer. “Readiness, lethality and modernization are the requirements driving these priorities.”
Though there are many ways for sailors to earn distinction in their command, community, and career, Demelo is most proud of being meritoriously advanced to petty officer second class in 2018.
“I worked very hard and it paid off for me in a big way,” said Demelo.
As a member of one of the U.S. Navy’s most relied upon assets, Demelo and other sailors know they are part of a legacy that will last beyond their lifetimes contributing the Navy the nation needs.
“Being in the Navy is a chance to be a part of something bigger than myself," said Demelo. "It is nice to have a family not relate to you by blood, but by shared experiences.”
