Lt. Cmdr. Richard J. Zamberlan turned command of Cyclone-class patrol coastal ship USS Squall (PC 7) over to Lt. Cmdr. William C. Stewart onboard Naval Support Activity Bahrain, Feb. 12.

Squall is one of 10 PCs forward deployed to Bahrain, providing a fast and reliable platform capable of responding to emergent requirements in a shallow water environment.

"It has been an honor to command Squall for the past 19 months," said Zamberlan. "I am confident that Lieutenant Commander Stewart will do a phenomenal job as commanding officer."

Upon transfer, Zamberlan will take over as executive officer of USS Blue Ridge (LCC 19), U.S. 7th Fleet's command and control ship.

The PCs are assigned to Commander, U.S. Fleet Forces Command as a part of Coastal Patrol Squadron (PCRON) 1. The primary mission of the Cyclone-class ships is coastal patrol and interdiction surveillance, an aspect of littoral operations.

"I'm grateful and honored for this opportunity to command Squall and the crew," said Stewart. "I look forward to the missions that await us. We will continue to execute the U.S. 5th Fleet mission and have a positive impact on this area of operations."

Comprised of Navy and civilian personnel, the PCRON 1 staff is responsible for the maintenance, logistics, manning, and training of all PCs in order to meet operational requirements. PCRON 1 is also the surface warfare enterprise class advocate for all 13 PCs, managing life cycle improvement programs to increase efficiency and capability of ships.

PCs conduct coastal patrol, maritime security operations, high-value unit protection, maritime infrastructure protection, maritime interception operations, and special operations support in support of Commander, U.S. 5th Fleet objectives. The PC platforms are ideal for littoral operations, bridging the gap between inshore and open ocean operational environments and are well suited to operate with other Gulf Cooperation Council, Navy, and U.S. Coast Guard assets in support of theater security cooperation objectives.

U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility 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 el-Mandeb at the southern tip of Yemen.

For further questions, please contact U.S. Naval Forces Central Command Public Affairs Office at 011-973-1785-4562 or navcentpao@me.navy.mil

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