With its railings dressed and signal flags proudly displayed, the Avenger-class mine countermeasures ship USS Gladiator (MCM 11) sat pierside at Naval Support Activity Bahrain just a few feet away from its change in leadership, April 12.

The change of command ceremony where Lt. Cmdr. Francisco X. Garza relieved Lt. Cmdr. Roosevelt B. White as Gladiator commanding officer, was presided over by Capt. Jeffrey R. Cronin, commander of Mine Countermeasure Squadron (MCMRON) 3, who oversees manning, legal and personnel support for the MCM ships forward deployed to Bahrain.

"USS Gladiator has had a most extraordinary run these past few years under the leadership of Capt. Garza," said Cronin. "We thank Capt. Garza for his tremendous service and leadership he's rendered to Gladiator and its crew."

Gladiator, one of four MCM ships forward deployed to Bahrain and attached to U.S. Naval Forces Central Command's (NAVCENT) Task Force (TF) 52, is a mine sweeper/hunter-killer capable of finding, classifying and destroying moored and bottom mines in U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations.

Under Garza's command, the ship was awarded the 2016 Battle Effectiveness (Battle "E") Award, one of only 36 surface ships to receive the award. The Battle "E" was earned in part due to the crew's participation in four mine warfare exercises and their consistent high operational tempo.

"From day one I depended on the crew and they always exceeded every challenge thrown their way," said Garza. "I'm excited for what the future holds for the ship. The crew brings enthusiasm, energy and eagerness. It is invigorating seeing everyone operate every day. I am honored to have served with this crew. Please continue to dominate."

Garza is headed to U.S. Northern Command, which provides command and control of Department of Defense homeland defense efforts and to coordinate defense support of civil authorities.

Before relieving Garza as commanding officer, White served as Gladiator's executive officer. After reading his orders and accepting charge of the ship, White's wife and father tacked the Command at Sea pin onto his uniform. White then turned to address his crew.

"Gladiators, you have answered the call no matter what was put in front of us," said White. "Our list of accomplishments over the past year is noteworthy, but we must continue to dominate the battlespace. Gladiator will exemplify the highest standards of service, conduct and performance founded on a culture of accountability, professionalism, pride and respect. We will be ready to fight tonight and its starts today."

White joins his fellow three MCM ship commanders in the region with meeting the unique challenge of maintaining the force while being separated by thousands of miles from their supporting commands.

Cronin said such challenges go hand-and-hand with serving onboard ships.

"We never really know what's on the other side," said Cronin. "But we wouldn't be human, certainly we wouldn't be Navy Sailors, if we didn't feel the thrill of leaping into the next adventure no matter how daunting it may seem. And for Gladiator, that next adventure starts with Capt. White."

TF 52 is the mine countermeasures force of the Coalition Forces Maritime Component Command overseen by the U.S. 5th Fleet. It operates regularly to ensure freedom of navigation and the free flow of commerce in the Arabian Gulf, one of the world's most critical bodies of water for international maritime traffic.

U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations 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 comprises 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.

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For more news from Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Central Command/5th Fleet, visit www.cusnc.navy.mil/.