More than 1,250 people were evacuated from a major US naval installation in Bahrain in March after Iranian attacks threatened American personnel and their families.
Five people affected by the departure told MS NOW the evacuation was chaotic, leaving military families to deal with trauma, housing instability and rising expenses months after fleeing the Gulf country.
The four active-duty military spouses and one civilian employee interviewed requested anonymity, citing fear of retaliation.
They described missile alerts, explosions near their homes and smoke rising from buildings struck during attacks that intensified after the United States began bombing Iran on February 28.
Families Left Behind as Threats Escalated
Some families said they left Bahrain with only one suitcase per person, abandoning furniture and personal belongings without knowing when they could retrieve them.
According to their accounts, the Navy instructed them to relocate to the United States by June, forcing many to arrange temporary accommodation while managing the consequences of their sudden departure.
One military spouse described the fear of remaining in Bahrain with children during the attacks.
"I was terrified.
I laid really close to my kids because I was like at least if we die, we'll die and one person won't be left," the spouse said.
Two families said their military spouses had been transferred out of Bahrain before the February 28 bombing campaign began, leaving them behind in a country facing escalating security threats.
"They knew something was going on and they literally left us there as sitting ducks," one spouse said.
Other families described taking extraordinary precautions as missile and drone attacks continued.
One spouse stayed inside her home for days, closed the curtains and arranged a bathroom area for her pets because she was afraid to leave the property.
"My priority was making sure my kids are alive," she said.
Another spouse said a Navy family friend visited her and her sons after warnings of a potentially heavy attack, and they spent seven hours sheltering in a parking garage.
"It was surreal thinking about how scared my children were. It is something I will never forget for the rest of my life," she said.
Financial Strain and an Uncertain Future
The evacuation also created significant financial pressure.
Several families moved between countries before settling in hotels or furnished short-term rentals in the United States, and some temporarily relocated to Germany so their children could attend US military-run schools alongside classmates from Bahrain.
One spouse said the costs of replacing essential belongings and securing transportation had exhausted her savings.
"My savings is gone, my savings is zero," she said, describing spending tens of thousands of dollars on basic necessities, including an inexpensive car to transport her children.
Military assistance intended to cover evacuation expenses was scheduled to end in late November, according to the families interviewed.
Several said they remained unsettled and continued to experience emotional distress months after leaving Bahrain.
"I feel like I'm living in a nightmare, it's awful," another spouse said.
The attacks also disrupted US naval operations.
Naval Support Activity Bahrain, headquarters of the Navy's Fifth Fleet, serves as a regional hub for logistics, supplies and maintenance for American warships.
According to the US Navy, the installation supported approximately 8,300 military personnel, civilian contractors and dependents before the conflict.
Iranian strikes damaged the command headquarters, two satellite communications terminals, warehouses and a dozen other buildings.
Estimates of the damage approached $400 million, while the installation's staffing was reduced to what the military called "mission critical status."
With Bahrain's logistics operations curtailed, the Navy relied more heavily on a smaller support facility on Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean, approximately 2,200 miles from the Gulf of Oman.
The longer supply route slowed deliveries to deployed carrier strike groups and thousands of service members, leading to periods of rationing for food and other 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 the damage had prompted a review of the installation's future.
"Blew the hell out of Bahrain," Cao said of Iran's attacks, adding that he had assigned a task force to examine whether the base should be repaired.
MS NOW reported that it contacted US Central Command for clarification about the evacuation process and the next steps for affected families, but officials did not respond to its requests for comment.
