Naval Support Activity Bahrain broke ground this month on a $15.8 million renovation of on-base living facilities for unaccompanied sailors. (Stars and Stripes)
Navy sailors stationed in Bahrain on unaccompanied tours are in for a multimillion-dollar upgrade to their living quarters as part of a Pentagon push to spruce up barracks.
Naval Support Activity Bahrain broke ground this month on a $15.8 million renovation of its housing facilities.
Capt. Zachariah Aperauch, the commanding officer at the installation, called the upgrades an investment in the base’s sailors.
Capt. Zachariah Aperauch, Naval Support Activity Bahrain's commanding officer, cuts a ceremonial ribbon Jan. 11, 2026, to mark the start of a $15.8 million barracks renovation at the base in Manama, Bahrain. (Zachary Shea/U.S. Navy)
“Many of our service members here at NSA Bahrain are first-tour Sailors who have never been outside the U.S.,” Aperauch said in a Tuesday statement issued by the base. “When we ensure our team has the best possible living conditions, we are investing in both their success here on the installation and the future of their Navy career.”
Planned upgrades include a new roof, insulated exterior doors, new flooring and modern fixtures, as well as an overhaul of plumbing, electrical and telecommunications systems, Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command said in a recent statement.
The groundbreaking represented a significant milestone, said Lt. Cmdr. Michelle Fitzgerald, director of the Facilities Engineering and Acquisition Division at the Public Works Department Bahrain.
“Being able to initiate these essential renovations and ultimately provide improved living conditions for our service members is extremely rewarding,” Fitzgerald said in a statement Tuesday.
Personnel pose for a group photo in Manama, Bahrain, Jan. 11, 2026, during a ribbon cutting ceremony to mark the start of a $15.8 million renovation of barracks at Naval Support Activity Bahrain. (Zachary Shea/U.S. Navy)
The project is part of a broader Pentagon effort to improve living standards at bases around the world.
Last fall, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth launched a barracks task force to address what he called “substandard housing.”
He cited a Government Accountability Office report from 2023 that highlighted problems such as raw sewage overflows, mold and rodent infestation in service member housing.
The Pentagon last year allocated $1.2 billion for barracks renovations across all the military services. In December, the Navy said it would direct $75 million of those funds to support 95 projects across 50 installations.
