More than 700 U.S. military personnel stood up Task Force 58 from units operating in the U.S. 5th Fleet region. U.S. Sailors, Marines, Soldiers and Airmen are working alongside their U.S. Embassy and Bahraini counterparts to temporarily facilitate the safe departure of U.S. citizens and evacuees from Afghanistan through Bahrain.

International military staff from the Combined Maritime Forces are also contributing to efforts that include providing travelers meals, short-term lodging and medical services before departing for the United States.

“Every organization is contributing,” said Cooper. “The entire team is stepping up and doing phenomenal work during a challenging time. I could not be prouder.”

The U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations encompasses nearly 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 region 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.