The Naval Support Activity Bahrain headquarters building is seen in this undated photo. Adm. Brad Cooper, commander of U.S. Central Command, said Monday that he wants dependents who were evacuated from the island due to Operation Epic Fury to return “as soon as possible.” (Stars and Stripes)
Hundreds of U.S. military families who left Bahrain under drone and missile fire earlier this year may soon be headed back, but the timeline and the means for getting them there are still unclear.
U.S. Central Command head Adm. Brad Cooper told reporters on Monday that he’d like to see families return to Naval Support Activity Bahrain, which is home to U.S. Naval Forces Central Command and the U.S. 5th Fleet.
“It’s my goal to get them back to Bahrain as soon as possible,” he said. “We did a little survey, and 90% of them want to get back as quickly as they can.”
Dependents and other nonessential personnel on the island were evacuated shortly after the Feb. 28 start of Operation Epic Fury, the stalemated war against Iran. The relocation rush marked one of the largest movements of military families in recent years.
Two months later, the evacuees are still sheltering in safe havens in Europe and the U.S., living in temporary housing as the conflict in the Middle East drags on.
Adm. Brad Cooper, commander of U.S. Central Command, left, speaks during a press briefing on Operation Epic Fury at the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., on April 16, 2026. Cooper told reporters Monday that he wants families who were evacuated from Bahrain due to the operation to return to the island "as soon as possible." (Carson Croom/U.S. Navy)
NSA Bahrain has been hit hard by Iranian fire since the war began, with the base and surrounding neighborhoods sustaining extensive damage. CENTCOM hasn’t commented on or confirmed the state of its Bahrain facilities.
Cooper didn’t say what conditions would be necessary to begin a return, but tensions remain high. While a temporary ceasefire that began April 8 is still technically in effect, the U.S. and Iran have exchanged fire in recent days over the Strait of Hormuz.
The Navy said this week that it will provide assistance to neutral ships looking to pass through the strait, much to the ire of Iranian forces, who have held the critical waterway in a virtual chokehold since the start of the war.
U.S. forces sank six small Iranian boats on Monday that were aiming to attack commercial vessels, Cooper said. Iran, meanwhile, has also resumed firing at the United Arab Emirates.
Force protection issues are a serious driver in considerations of whether to allow families to accompany service members, said retired Vice Adm. John Miller, a former NAVCENT/5th Fleet commander.
But overall, the preference is to have family members remain in Bahrain because it allows service members to remain at the base for longer periods of time, he said.
“You gain continuity and gain expertise, and you gain a better understanding of the culture,” Miller said. “All of those things are important, and insofar as we can safely have families present, we want to continue to do that.”
Cooper did not provide a timeline for family members’ return to NSA Bahrain. Navy guidance issued May 2 suggests that the Pentagon is prepared to offer safe-haven entitlements for up to 180 days, meaning they would last until late August.
NSA Bahrain families also play a central role in relations for Persian Gulf countries, particularly because of the international attendance at the U.S.-affiliated schools.
Students from the U.S., Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and other regional countries attend classes at the schools adjacent to the base.
The schools operate as a joint partnership between the Department of Defense Education Activity and the Bahrain International School Association.
Officials with the Defense Department’s school system have not yet confirmed whether classes on base will resume in the fall.
Reporter Alison Bath contributed to this report.
