His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, the Supreme Commander, patronized on Sunday the National Guard’s 20th establishment anniversary celebrations, in the presence of Bahrain Defense Force (BDF) Commander-in-Chief, Field Marshal Sheikh Khalifa bin Ahmed Al Khalifa.
The King was welcomed upon arrival by National Guard Commander Lt-General Sheikh Mohammed bin Isa Al Khalifa, National Guard Director of staff and senior officers, Bahrain News Agency (BNA) reported.
Following the royal anthem, the King handed over the flags to the new units that joined the National Guard.
In his speech, Commander of the National Guard Special Operations Unit, Major Sheikh Salman bin Mohammed bin Isa Al-Khalifa, took pride in HM the King’s patronage of the event and congratulated him on the 20th anniversary of the National Guard, stressing readiness to defend the homeland under the leadership of the National Guard Commander in conformity with the royal directives.
The King presented a number of officers and non-commissioned officers with medals in recognition of their hard efforts.
Afterwards, he toured the Weapon Museum and was briefed on the exhibited weapons and the history of the museum. He praised the effort exerted in organizing the museum which reflects the development witnessed by National Guard since its inception.
In the guestbook, he expressed pride in visiting the National Guard, lauded its commitment to defending the homeland, citizens and national achievements, and highlighted the great sacrifices made by the National Guard. He urged them to continue their dedication and wished them further advancement and prosperity.
The King further praised the National Guard Commanders’ effort and expressed appreciation of the staff’s commitment to carry out their national duties in a professional manner alongside their brethren in arms of the Interior Ministry.
He affirmed Bahrain will remain safe and united, wishing the valiant National Guard further successes.
The National Guard Commander extended gratitude to HM the King for patronizing the event and pointed out the high-level of preparation and readiness achieved thanks to the royal support and directives.
He vowed, on behalf of the National Guard Forces, to continue defending the homeland, national achievements and development alongside the Interior force and reiterated commitment to the royal directives to bring more development to the National Guard units, wishing HM the King abundant good health and happiness to carry on leading Bahrain's forward-looking progress.
He congratulated the National Guard staff and hailed their roles in maintaining the homeland's security and stability, wishing them more successes and Bahrain further progress and prosperity.
