Courtesy Photo

Intelligence Specialist 2nd Class Tim Pass, assigned to Commander, Task Group (CTG) 56.1, interacts with a child during a community relations event at the Regional Institute for Active Learning center in Adliya, Bahrain. CTG 56.1 provides maritime security operations and theater security cooperation efforts in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Mike Lenart/Not Released)

JUFFAIR, Bahrain- Commander Task Unit 56 (CTU) and Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Central Command (NAVCENT) Sailors participated in a Community Relations project (COMREL) at a children’s center in Juffair, Bahrain, July 17.

The center is a non- profit program established in 1999, by Emad Al Attar and his wife Christine Gordon. The centre focuses on quality of education, with hopes of increasing each child’s confidence in interacting with classmates and adults on a daily basis. The center receives volunteers and playmates from Naval Support Activity Bahrain (NSA) weekly.

“It creates such a great atmosphere. The children are happy to get so much attention and everyone is happy,” said Gordon. “A lot of the personnel that come here are humbled by what they experience here; they are enlightened in some respects.”

Sailors from CTU and NAVCENT take the opportunity to volunteer time with the children regularly.

Intelligence Specialist 2nd Class Timothy Pass said the volunteer event provides an opportunity for the children and their parents to see service members in a role outside of the military.

“Looking ahead toward the future, we have to start with the children,” said Pass. “Our weekly involvement with their child is enough to let the kids know that we aren’t bad people, and we are here to help. When they grow older, they will remember us coming to read books, playing games and spending time with them when they were younger.”

There are currently more than 150 students enrolled at the school.

NAVCENT is responsible for approximately 2.5 million square miles of area including the Arabian Gulf, Red Sea, Gulf of Oman, parts of the Indian Ocean and 20 countries

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