Accessibility links Skip to main content Keyboard shortcuts for audio player Open Navigation Menu --> Newsletters NPR Shop Get NPR+ Close Navigation Menu Home News Expand/collapse submenu for News National World Politics Business Health Science Climate Race Culture Expand/collapse submenu for Culture Books Movies Television Pop Culture Food Art & Design Performing Arts Life Kit Gaming Music Expand/collapse submenu for Music Tiny Desk New Music Friday All Songs Considered Music Features Live Sessions Podcasts & Shows Expand/collapse submenu for Podcasts & Shows Daily Morning Edition Weekend Edition Saturday Weekend Edition Sunday All Things Considered Up First Here & Now NPR Politics Podcast Featured Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me! Fresh Air Wild Card with Rachel Martin It's Been a Minute Embedded Get NPR+ More Podcasts & Shows Search Newsletters NPR Shop Get NPR+ Tiny Desk New Music Friday All Songs Considered Music Features Live Sessions About NPR Diversity Support Careers Press Ethics Months after being evacuated from Bahrain, military families await their next move Sailors and family members who were evacuated from U.S. bases in the Middle East months ago are waiting for the military to figure out what will happen to the lives they left behind. National Months after being evacuated from Bahrain, military families await their next move August 12, 20264:47 AM ET Heard on Morning Edition From By Steve Walsh Months after being evacuated from Bahrain, military families await their next move Listen · 3:21 3:21 Transcript Toggle more options Download Embed Embed "> <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/nx-s1-5921392/nx-s1-9884204" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player"> Transcript Sailors and family members who were evacuated from U.S. bases in the Middle East months ago are waiting for the military to figure out what will happen to the lives they left behind. Sponsor Message Transcript
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During the early weeks of the war with Iran, hundreds of U.S. sailors and their families were rushed out of Bahrain with only a duffel bag. As the war continues, many of these families are still living out of suitcases back in the U.S. The Navy is trying to figure out what's next for them. Steve Walsh with WHRO in Norfolk has this report.
STEVE WALSH, BYLINE: Shortly after the war with Iran started in late February, one Navy spouse was about to go back to Bahrain with her husband. Then they got word from the Navy.
UNIDENTIFIED NAVY SPOUSE: A day before we were supposed to leave to be stationed in Bahrain together, we were told we need to go somewhere else for a short period of time, and then here we are five months later.
WALSH: NPR has agreed to withhold their names. The Navy spouse is concerned about the potential impact on her husband's career. The two of them are now living out of three duffel bags.
UNIDENTIFIED NAVY SPOUSE: We were at one location for a while, and then, spur of the moment, sent to another location for what ended up being 10 weeks. So it's a lot of moving with very short notice and can't really unpack or own too much 'cause you never know when you're going to be going somewhere else.
WALSH: They're on what's called temporary duty status, so they aren't eligible for base housing or money for rent. American bases in the region remain targets for Iran. After a first story ran on NPR in April, the Navy conceded that at least 1,500 troops and their families had left the Navy base in Bahrain, which is home to the Navy's Fifth Fleet.
When military members and their families go overseas, they have to designate a place they would return in an emergency. Some evacuees remain at the place they designated. Others are still moving from base to base. Head of Fleet Forces, Admiral Karl Thomas, told NPR that the Navy hasn't released an overall plan, but reopening Bahrain to families seems unlikely in the near future.
KARL THOMAS: We're really trying to take each case individually and make sure those people are taken care of, and we understand what they want. But with things heating back up over there right now, it's not an option.
WALSH: Some came through Norfolk, Virginia. Hundreds have arrived in Tampa, home of CENTCOM. There, the organization Blue Star Families is helping make food deliveries. Families with young children are trying to enroll in schools. They may not have all of their records, says Executive Director Suzy Malloy.
SUZY MALLOY: When the kids first arrived, we gave them backpacks and school supplies because, you know, they left so quickly, they didn't think to grab all of what they needed to go back to school.
WALSH: Inge Michiels runs JetPet, which transports animals in and out of Bahrain, including for some military and civilian defense workers. She still lives in Bahrain and remembers when the war began.
INGE MICHIELS: The early days quite shocking, especially Bahrain is considered safe. It's a small island with friendly people. So when I woke up, I was literally blasted off my bed.
WALSH: People weren't prepared for the cost and paperwork involved in transporting pets out of the Middle East. Many had to leave their animals behind. Pets were left with neighbors or friends and still haven't left the country.
MICHIELS: A lot of people are in panic mode. And our team as well, we are going under that same stress where alarms go off and deprived sleep and uncertainty.
WALSH: The country is still under periodic attack. For most clients, all she can tell them to do is wait and see.
For NPR News, I'm Steve Walsh. Copyright © 2026 NPR. All rights reserved. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information. Accuracy and availability of NPR transcripts may vary. Transcript text may be revised to correct errors or match updates to audio. Audio on npr.org may be edited after its original broadcast or publication. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record. Facebook Flipboard Email Read & Listen Home News Culture Music Podcasts & Shows Connect Newsletters Facebook Instagram Press Public Editor Corrections Transcripts Contact & Help About NPR Overview Diversity NPR Network Accessibility Ethics Finances Get Involved Support Public Radio Sponsor NPR NPR Careers NPR Shop NPR Extra Terms of Use Privacy Your Privacy Choices Text Only Sponsor Message Sponsor Message Become an NPR sponsor (function () { var loadPageJs = function () { (window.webpackJsonp=window.webpackJsonp||[]).push([[22],{310:function(e,n,o){o.p=NPR.serverVars.webpackPublicPath,Promise.all([o.e(1),o.e(2),o.e(3),o.e(4),o.e(80)]).then((e=>{o(15),o(769),o(155),o(176),o(93),o(447),o(254),o(128),o(130),o(754),o(175),o(755),o(255),o(78),o(773)}).bind(null,o)).catch(o.oe)},782:function(e,n,o){e.exports=o(310)}},[[782,0]]]); }; if (document.readyState === 'complete') { loadPageJs(); } else { window.addEventListener('load', function load() { window.removeEventListener('load', load, false); loadPageJs(); }); } })();