Naval Support Activity (NSA) Bahrain held a change of command ceremony June 14. Capt. Darren B. Guenther, son of Vello and Linda Aab of Sequim, relieved Capt. Cory R. Howes as commanding officer of NSA Bahrain. The ceremony marked an end to Howes’s leadership of the command he headed since June 2015.

After the reading of official orders and the official change of command, Guenther addressed “Team Bahrain,” the service members and civilians, which are a mix of Americans, Bahrainis, and citizens of 13 other countries, their families, the tenant commands, the fleet command and international partners.

“This job is a huge challenge, but I like challenges and this team likes challenges,” said Guenther. “Thank you Team Bahrain. I look forward to working with you for the next several years.”

Guenther previously was assigned to Harvard University where he completed a master’s degree. Guenther and his wife, Nicole, will be in Bahrain for a two-year tour. He earned a bachelor’s degree in political science in 1994 from the University of California–Berkeley and was commissioned through the NROTC program.

He was designated a naval aviator in 1997. Among other assignments, Guenther was a FRS instructor pilot and has accumulated nearly 3,000 flight hours. Guenther and his wife have three children.