US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has authorized the voluntary departure of military dependents from locations across the Middle East, as tensions in the region continue to escalate. The move affects US bases throughout the CENTCOM area of responsibility, primarily those in Bahrain near the US Navy base.
The decision mainly impacts US military dependents living in Bahrain due to its high population of US service members’ families. However, no uniformed US service members will be evacuating from the region. Instead, the Department of Defense is working closely with allies and partners to maintain a state of readiness for potential missions.
According to JP 3-68, the voluntary departure of command-sponsored dependents is authorized when threats rise. The move comes as Iran-backed militias increase activity and regional instability grows. US Central Command (CENTCOM) is monitoring the situation closely, but no specific threat has been cited by the Department of Defense.
Source: https://www.foxnews.com/politics/hegseth-authorizes-voluntary-departure-military-dependents-from-across-middle-east-amid-rising-tensions