The Ramstein Air Base welcome sign is illuminated by sunrise Jan. 30, 2024. The 86th Airlift Wing said Kaiserslautern Military Community units and organizations are prepared to support military families that have evacuated from the Middle East. (Jordan Lazaro/U.S. Air Force)
KAISERSLAUTERN, Germany — Hundreds of military dependents and civilians are heading west after the Pentagon ordered their departure from Bahrain as the war with Iran heads into its third week.
Numerous structures at U.S. Naval Support Activity Bahrain have been destroyed, including communications centers and warehouses, and Bahraini authorities say they are continuing to intercept incoming missiles and drones.
The hasty exits amid the chaos require impromptu navigation of travel reimbursements, school enrollment and housing challenges. As host of U.S. Naval Forces Central Command and U.S. 5th Fleet, the base in the Bahraini capital of Manama has some 8,300 service members and is one of the only American military installations in the Middle East that offers accompanied tours.
The base and surrounding neighborhoods have taken heavy fire since the joint U.S.-Israeli campaign called Operation Epic Fury launched on Feb. 28. Two Bahraini residents have died as a result of the attacks, but no Americans in Bahrain are among the dead or injured.
Evacuees began arriving at European bases earlier this month, many of them en route to the U.S. The Pentagon has also authorized the Kaiserslautern area as an alternative safe haven location, allowing families to temporarily join the tens of thousands of Defense Department personnel assigned to the largest American military community overseas.
Members of the Kaiserslautern Military Community cheer on students from Ramstein Elementary School during an event at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, April 9, 2025. U.S. military families that have relocated to Kaiserslautern after evacuating from Bahrain have until April 6 to enroll their children in local Defense Department schools. (Alexandra Longfellow/U.S. Air Force)
Across European bases, volunteers have been organizing donations for families often arriving with just the bare essentials. As of Monday, the Ramstein Military and Family Readiness Center was still accepting items such as bedding, kitchen essentials, car seats and diapers.
Dependents who relocate to the Kaiserslautern Military Community will also be able to enroll their children in local Defense Department schools, according to Pentagon guidance released this month. They have until April 6 to do so.
The Department of Defense Education Activity is advising families to enroll their children in the local school districts at their new location.
If there is an operating DODEA school nearby, students can be enrolled there as well. Virtual DODEA classes will also be available to high schoolers.
Organizations in the KMC are prepared to support those who choose Germany as their safe haven, the 86th Airlift Wing, which provides base operating support at Ramstein, said in a statement Friday. It did not say how many evacuees there are in total.
It is unclear when evacuees might be able to return to Bahrain or retrieve their household goods. Officials at Ramstein are offering to assist families with both temporary and permanent housing options, according to guidance released by the Military and Family Readiness Center.
Those who were ordered to leave Bahrain may be eligible for early return of dependents, which allows families to return to the United States permanently, NAVCENT said.
Evacuees are still expected to pay rent and utilities for their homes in Bahrain, according to NAVCENT guidance. The Pentagon is continuing to pay overseas housing allowances for military personnel stationed in Bahrain and for civilians.
Personnel who evacuated from Juffair, a Manama neighborhood that is near the naval base, also are receiving temporary lodging allowance.
Military operations continued in Iran this week with no clear end in sight. President Donald Trump’s top economic adviser, Kevin Hassett, said the operation would likely take four to six weeks to complete, CBS News reported.
Meanwhile, Iran’s threats continue to block oil tankers from transiting the Strait of Hormuz, and more than 2,000 additional Marines and at least one warship appear to be headed to the Middle East, multiple news outlets reported this weekend.
