U.S. 5th Fleet Master Chief Russell Mason held and all-hands call for service members stationed at Naval Support Activity (NSA) Bahrain to convey expectations and answer questions.

Mason assumed the duties as U.S. 5th Fleet master chief, Dec. 10, and has had the opportunity to speak with many of the fleet's service members, but this was his first time addressing NSA service members in paygrade-specific groups.

Mason emphasized the importance of accountability and integrity to more than 750 Sailors, Soldiers, Marines and Coast Guardsmen.

"Accountability does two things. It sets the foundation for integrity and it lays the foundation for unconditional trust," said Mason.

He answered questions pertaining to the U.S. 5th Fleet liberty policy and advancement process, and stressed the importance of the work performed in this area of operations, while encouraging service members to hold themselves to the highest ethical standard.

"Resiliency is the ability to recover from adversity and stand tall maintaining dignity, respect and character," said Mason. "The work we do here is critical to the military as a whole and you should be proud of the contribution each and every one of you makes."

Mason maintains an open discourse with service members through his "Fleet's Fireside Chats" and his "Power Hour" on the radio. Fireside chats are conversations with small groups of the base's population, stimulating dialogue and engagement with service members and civilians on varying topics. The "Power Hour" is conducted on 106.3, the American Forces Network radio station, every Wednesday at 3 p.m. Listeners are encouraged to call in with questions.

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.

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