Military family members evacuated from Naval Support Activity Bahrain in March described a hasty and traumatic evacuation in exclusive interviews with MS NOW, saying they have been living out of hotels and short-term rentals for months and face running out of money. The families fled after Iranian strikes damaged the command headquarters, two satellite communications terminals, warehouses and a dozen other buildings, with damage estimates approaching $400 million.
The installation supported approximately 8,300 military personnel, civilian contractors and dependents before the conflict, and staffing was reduced to "mission critical status" after the attacks. With Bahrain's logistics operations curtailed, the Navy leaned on a smaller support facility on Diego Garcia, 2,200 miles away, slowing deliveries to deployed carrier strike groups and causing periods of rationing for food and supplies. A September report to Congress identified Bahrain as the fourth most targeted country in the region for Iranian missile and drone attacks since the war began.
Acting Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao said Iran "blew the hell out of Bahrain" and assigned a task force to examine whether the base should even be repaired. The Navy Times reports that more than six months after roughly 1,300 dependents were evacuated, some families remain unable to return for household goods, vehicles and pets because of continuing security concerns. MS NOW reported that U.S. Central Command did not respond to requests for comment about the evacuation process and next steps for affected families, leaving the episode as a political flashpoint over the Pentagon's handling of the nearly eight-month-old Iran war.