Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Daryl Caudle told sailors at a town hall that the U.S. Navy does not expect to return to Naval Support Activity Bahrain “anytime soon,” the Navy’s main logistics hub in the Middle East.
At the wide, virtual town hall Caudle said plainly, “We’re not getting back in there anytime soon,” according to Stars & Stripes reporting of the Aug. 31 event.
NSA Bahrain was heavily damaged earlier this year after Iranian missile and drone strikes hit U.S. facilities in Manama; The New York Times reported that the attacks “destroy[ed] several structures” at the Fifth Fleet headquarters.
Officials have evacuated many military personnel and families from Bahrain and have not set a date for their return; NPR reported in August that families who left the island “remain in limbo” months after the attacks.
The decision not to reoccupy the base for the foreseeable future follows assessments of damage and security risks, and comes as the Navy reviews how to sustain operations in the region without its traditional hub, Defense News reported in April.
U.S. forces have continued other regional operations while the Bahrain hub is out of use; reporting on naval responses and mine-clearance in the Gulf underscores how the Navy is shifting logistics and force posture in the near term.
The article places this development in the context of Navy activity and family impacts, and links to related coverage on deployments and regional operations for readers who want more detail.
Sources
- Stars & Stripes — provided Adm. Daryl Caudle’s town-hall quote, “We’re not getting back in there anytime soon,” and reporting on the Aug. 31 town hall.
- The New York Times — reported that Iran struck the headquarters of the U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet in Manama, “destroying several structures.”
- NPR — reported that Navy families evacuated from Bahrain “remain in limbo” months after the attacks.
- Defense News — provided reporting on damage assessments to NSA Bahrain and how the strikes targeted U.S. infrastructure supporting airpower.
Related reading: U.S. military clears Iranian sea mines from Strait of Hormuz and USS Abraham Lincoln returns to San Diego after record 260-day deployment
