Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Jackson Brown
NAVAL SUPPORT ACTIVITY BAHRAIN – Petty Officer 2nd Class Barbara Hargrove, a Chicago native, joined the Navy because her father was not able to.
Hargrove, a graduate of North Lawndale College Prep, is an operations specialist at U.S. 5th Fleet, headquartered in Manama, Bahrain.
Hargrove is a part of Task Force 55, which controls surface forces, including U.S. Navy coastal patrol craft, cruisers and destroyers, and U.S. Coast Guard patrols boats, in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations. They have a permanently assigned forward-deployed force consisting of 10 U.S. Navy coastal patrol ships and six U.S. Coast Guard patrol boats.
Hargrove credits success at U.S. 5th Fleet, and in the Navy, to many of the lessons learned in Chicago.
“Being from a big city you learn not to take the first answer,” said Hargrove. “Explore your options.”
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.
“When missions are executed we are the liasion with the partner nations to accomplish the mission,” said Hargrove.
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.
Serving in the Navy means Hargrove 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 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, Hargrove is most proud of advancing quickly.
“I joined the military in 2014 and went from the rank of seaman recruit to second class in a short period of time,” said Hargrove. “During my advances, I was entrusted with responsibilities and duties to help me achieve the promotions.”
As a member of one of the U.S. Navy’s most relied upon assets, Hargrove and other sailors know they are part of a legacy that will last beyond their lifetimes contributing to the Navy the nation needs.
“I love being part of something bigger than myself,” said Hargrove.