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 By Courtney Kube and Phil Helsel 
 
 The Navy admiral in charge of the military branch’s operations in the Middle East was found dead in Bahrain on Saturday, the Navy said. 
 
 Vice Admiral Scott Stearney was found dead in his residence in Bahrain Saturday and no foul play is suspected, Chief of Naval Operations Admiral John Richardson said in a statement. The Naval Criminal Investigative Service and the Bahraini Ministry of Interior are cooperating on the investigation. 
 
 Stearney took over as commander of U.S. Naval Forces Central Command and the Combined Maritime Forces in May, where he commanded more than 20,000 U.S. and coalition sailors, Marines, Coastguardsmen, and civilians. Stearney served 36 years in the Navy. 
 
 "This is devastating news for the Stearney family, for the team at Fifth Fleet, and for the entire Navy. Scott Stearney was a decorated naval warrior," Richardson said in a statement. 
 
 "He was a devoted husband and father, and he was a good friend to all of us,” Richardson said. 
 
 Rear Admiral Paul Schlise, the deputy commander of Fifth Fleet, has assumed command, he said. Vice Admiral Jim Malloy is preparing to fly out to Bahrain later today to take command in the interim. 
 
 Stearney was a native of Chicago and entered the Navy in 1982 after graduating from the University of Notre Dame. He became a Navy aviator in 1984 and served in strike fighter squadrons flying the FA-18 Hornet, according to the Navy website. 
 
 Vice Adm. Scott Stearney, commander of U.S. Naval Forces Central Command, U.S. 5th Fleet and Combined Maritime Forces, is rendered honors on the quarterdeck of the guided-missile destroyer USS Jason Dunham (DDG 109) on Oct. 24, 2018. Petty Officer 3rd Class Jonathan Clay / USS Jason Dunham (DDG109) 
 
 He served in Kabul, Afghanistan, as chief of staff of Joint Task Force 435 and later Combined Joint Interagency Task Force 435. In the U.S., he served as instructor and readiness officer at Navy Fighter Weapons School, as well as other roles, the Navy said. 
 
 Stearney’s past assignments included commander of the U.S. Transportation Command’s Joint Enabling Capabilities Command, commander of Strike Force Training Atlantic, commander of Carrier Strike Group and commander of Navy Warfare Development Command, and director of operations of U.S. Central Command, the Navy said. ||||| (CNN) The top admiral overseeing US Naval forces in the Middle East, Vice Adm. Scott Stearney, was found dead in his residence in Bahrain on Saturday, the Navy said in a statement. 
 
 While his death is being investigated, officials say there is no evidence of foul play at this time. 
 
 "This is devastating news for the Stearney family, for the team at Fifth Fleet, and for the entire Navy," Adm. John Richardson, the chief of naval operations, told CNN Saturday. "Adm. Stearney was a decorated professional and a devoted father, a devoted husband and a good friend." 
 
 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 — Adm. John Richardson (@CNORichardson) December 1, 2018 
 
 "I'd just ask that everybody keep the Stearney family in their thoughts and prayers as they move through this and also maybe to respect their privacy as they navigate these very, very difficult waters," he added. 
 
 Richardson said the Naval Criminal Investigative Service and the Bahraini Ministry of Interior are cooperating in the investigation. He added that he was unaware of any investigations into Stearney. 
 
 Read More ||||| Vice Adm. Scott Stearney is a native of Chicago, Illinois. He graduated from the University of Notre Dame, earning a Bachelor of Arts in Economics prior to commissioning in the U.S. Navy in October 1982. He subsequently entered flight training and was designated a Naval Aviator in April 1984. Stearney graduated from Navy Fighter Weapons School and holds a Master of Science in National Resource Strategy from the National Defense University. 
 
 
 
 Operationally, he served in numerous strike fighter squadrons flying the FA-18 Hornet. His fleet assignments include the Golden Warriors of Strike Fighter Squadron VFA-87, the Knighthawks of Strike Fighter Squadron VFA-136 and strike warfare officer for commander, Carrier Group 4. Stearney commanded the Wildcats of VFA-131 and Carrier Air Wing Seven embarked on USS Dwight D. Eisenhower. He served in Kabul, Afghanistan, as chief of staff of Joint Task Force 435 and later Combined Joint Interagency Task Force 435. 
 
 
 
 Ashore, Stearney served as instructor and readiness officer at Navy Fighter Weapons School, aide de camp to the chief of naval operations, deputy director J6 U.S. Joint Forces Command, executive assistant to deputy commander, U.S. Joint Forces Command and chief of staff, Strike Force Training Atlantic. 
 
 
 
 His flag assignments include commander, U.S. Transportation Command’s Joint Enabling Capabilities Command, commander, Strike Force Training Atlantic, commander, Carrier Strike Group 4, commander, Navy Warfare Development Command, and director of operations, U.S. Central Command. 
 
 
 
 Most recently, Stearney was commander, U.S. Naval Forces Central Command, U.S. 5th Fleet, Combined Maritime Forces from May 2018 until December 1, 2018. 
 
 
 
 He is entitled to wear the Defense Superior Service Medal, the Legion of Merit, the Air Medal, as well as other commendations and awards. He has accumulated more than 4,500 mishap free flight hours and over 1,000 carrier-arrested landings.
– The admiral leading American Naval forces in the Middle East turned up dead at his Bahrain residence Saturday, CNN reports. Vice Adm. Scott Stearney's death is under investigation, but media reports say there's no evidence of foul play. "This is devastating news for the Stearney family, for the team at Fifth Fleet, and for the entire Navy," says Adm. John Richardson, the chief of naval operations. The Fifth Fleet is part of the US Navy's Naval Forces Central Command, which controls operations in areas including the Persian Gulf and the Red Sea. America sees those Naval Forces as a deterrent to Iran and Iran-supported Houthi rebels, which are considered possible threats to regional shipping. Stearney, a 36-year Navy veteran, took command in the Middle East in May and led more than 200,000 US service members and civilians, per NBC News. The Navy website says he was a Chicago native who graduated from the University of Notre Dame and in 1982 entered the Navy, where he was an aviator and flew the FA-18 Hornet in strike fighter squadrons. He has served several commands and was chief of staff of a Joint Task Force in Kabul, Afghanistan. The Bahraini Ministry of Interior and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service are looking into his death, Reuters reports. (Meanwhile, $7M legwear is supposed to turn US troops into "super soldiers.")