U.S. Navy Vice Admiral Scott A. Stearney, Commander of 5th Fleet and head of Naval Forces Central Command, speaks during the Change of Command U.S. Naval Forces Central Command 5th Fleet Combined Maritime Forces ceremony at the U.S. Naval Base in Bahrain, May 6, 2018. REUTERS/Hamad I Mohammed/File Photo
The US Navy said on December 1 that Vice Admiral Scott Stearney overseeing US naval forces in the Middle East had been found dead at his residence in Bahrain. Vice Admiral Stearney was the commander of the US Navy’s Bahrain-based 5th Fleet.
The Navy did not specify the details of the incident.
“The Naval Criminal Investigative Service and the Bahraini Ministry of Interior are cooperating on the investigation, but at this time no foul play is suspected,” Chief of Naval Operations Admiral John Richardson said in a statement.
Following the incident, Stearney’s deputy, Rear Admiral Paul Schlise, assumed command of US naval forces in the Middle East, responsible for overseeing more than 20,000 US and coalition service personnel.
Team, it's my sad duty to inform you that today the Secretary of the Navy and I were informed that Vice Adm. Scott Stearney, our commander of U.S. Naval Forces Central Command and commander of U.S. Fifth Fleet in Bahrain, was found deceased in his residence in Bahrain today. pic.twitter.com/FN8DAlWUng
— USNavyCNO (@USNavyCNO) December 1, 2018
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