Iran’s Initial Strikes on Bahrain Caught U.S. Navy Families and Personnel Off Guard

On the first day of the conflict, Iranian forces targeted the U.S. Navy’s Middle East headquarters in Bahrain before the evacuation of all military families stationed there was completed. According to multiple families who spoke with CBS News, some individuals waited approximately a week or longer to reach safety as the situation deteriorated.

“You’re definitely scared,” one military spouse recounted. “As the week goes on, you wake up to ballistic missiles being fired. We went to sleep with the sound of ballistic missiles again.”

Iranian drones and missiles struck the island nation consistently for several days following the war’s onset. Three sources present in Bahrain at the time told CBS News that the magnitude and longevity of the assaults appeared to catch the U.S. government off guard, largely because mandatory evacuations for families were not issued until hostilities had already commenced.

While the military had anticipated some form of retaliation and had emptied the base’s structures, a U.S. official noted, “we weren’t expecting that [scale].” Several military families were still residing in homes near the base at the time of the attacks. Spouses described seeing missile and drone contrails and hearing explosions from nearby strikes. CBS News granted anonymity to these spouses due to fears of retribution.

No personnel were killed in the assaults. However, images circulating on social media earlier this year, which sources deem authentic, depict extensive damage to the facility. One photo captures an explosion on the war’s opening day targeting a critical radar system.

The Pentagon has not yet incorporated base damage into its public war cost estimates, with officials citing uncertainty regarding reconstruction plans. Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao described the severity of the damage to The Epoch Times, stating that Iranian retaliatory attacks “blew the hell out of Bahrain.”

Naval Support Activity Bahrain, which has served as the Fifth Fleet headquarters since the 1990s, supports approximately 8,300 military personnel, Defense Department civilians, and their families. It has historically functioned as a vital logistics hub for Middle Eastern operations, including during the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.

The damage has disrupted sea-based supply lines. The USS Abraham Lincoln recently experienced food shortages after the Navy rerouted resupply missions away from Bahrain. The New York Times reported that some provisions now arrive via Diego Garcia, an island located roughly 2,200 miles away in the Indian Ocean. A Pentagon Inspector General report indicated these extended logistics cycles require 14 to 18 days, compared to the previous five to seven days from Bahrain.

Admiral Daryl Caudle, Chief of Naval Operations, acknowledged during a recent town hall that the service had to restructure its supply chain for the region. “There was some early learning there on getting the logistics process in place that I think now we have in a very good situation,” Caudle said.

Caudle also addressed a sailor evacuated from Bahrain, confirming that officials are helping retrieve belongings left behind because there are no immediate plans to restore the base to its previous operational level. “We’re not getting back in there anytime soon, I just want to be completely honest with that,” he stated.

Since the conflict began, the Navy has assisted in evacuating approximately 1,450 service members and their families from Bahrain. Many are now facing financial strain, paying for housing in both Bahrain and the United States. “We have burned through our savings,” one spouse shared. “We have started having to take money out of our kids’ college funds to pay down all the bills that we’re incurring.”

Although the Pentagon offers benefits to reimburse dual housing costs, families report that claim processing can take weeks or months. A Navy spokesperson emphasized that the service remains in close contact with affected members and provided housing and relocation support, noting that families have until the end of November to transition to established residences.

Many evacuees were relocated to Norfolk, Virginia, or Tampa, Florida. Suzy Malloy, executive director of the Tampa Bay chapter of Blue Star Families, said her organization provided backpacks, clothing, and cooking appliances to help families adapt to hotel living.

Malloy praised the family readiness programs for managing the crisis effectively. While none of the families interviewed blamed the military for their hardships, they expressed frustration with the prolonged uncertainty. “Nobody expected this to go on so long,” one spouse said.