Hundreds of U.S. sailors and their families have been relocated from the Naval Support Activity Bahrain to the United States following Iranian missile and drone strikes on the base. Community groups in Norfolk, Virginia, are providing essential aid to the arrivals, who left with minimal belongings. The Navy has offered support services amid uncertainty about returning to the region.
The base in Bahrain, home to the Navy's 5th Fleet, hosted around 8,000 personnel before the U.S. struck Iran on February 28. Iranian attacks hit the facility multiple times starting that day, with satellite imagery confirming strikes on at least seven buildings through March 6. A Navy spokesman confirmed that 1,500 sailors, families, and several hundred pets were evacuated from NSA Bahrain, with arrivals in Norfolk since mid-March. Other U.S. bases in the Middle East have seen evacuations, though details remain limited as first reported by NPR. Sailors arrived with little more than what fit in a backpack, prompting calls for donations of toiletries and basics. Derrick Johnson, commander of American Legion Post 327 in Norfolk, said the base requested hygiene products because returnees had nothing. Keith Shanesy, a vice commander there, noted that some arrived without uniforms, just the clothes on their backs. The post hosted spaghetti dinners for the sailors. The Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society distributed $1 million to about 2,000 sailors and families for essentials and bridge loans while awaiting reimbursements, according to chief operations officer Dawn Cutler, a retired rear admiral. She described one family fleeing with a 2-week-old infant, a 2-year-old, a dog, and a suitcase. USO and Navy services provided crisis counseling, financial aid, and relocation support, per Lt. Cmdr. Kara Handley and David Carrier of USO. On April 1, the Navy issued guidance for reimbursing hotel stays, including for those routed through Italy and Germany. Questions persist over abandoned vehicles, furniture, and potential returns to Middle East bases. Additional hubs include MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa and Joint Base Charleston.
