Hegseth Authorizes Voluntary Departure of U.S. Military Dependents from Middle East Amid Rising Regional Tensions
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has authorized the voluntary departure of U.S. military dependents from bases across the Middle East, a significant decision reflecting growing instability in the region, defense officials confirmed Wednesday.
A senior U.S. defense official said:
“The safety and security of our service members and their families remains our highest priority, and U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) is monitoring the developing tension in the Middle East. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has authorized the voluntary departure of military dependents from locations across the CENTCOM AOR [Area of Responsibility].”
The move affects American families stationed at U.S. military installations throughout the CENTCOM region, including strategic areas such as Iraq, Syria, Bahrain, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates. However, officials emphasized that the authorization primarily impacts dependents residing in Bahrain — home to the largest concentration of U.S. military families in the area, particularly near the U.S. Navy base.
No uniformed U.S. service members will be evacuating at this time, according to two defense officials.
While the Department of Defense has not identified a specific threat, the precaution comes amid escalating activities by Iran-backed militias and rising tensions that have sparked growing concern among U.S. military leadership and allied partners.
In a related development, General Michael Kurilla, head of U.S. Central Command, postponed a scheduled Thursday morning appearance before the Senate Armed Services Committee on Capitol Hill. A U.S. official confirmed the delay, attributing it directly to the deteriorating regional climate.
“CENTCOM is working in close coordination with our Department of State counterparts, as well as our Allies and partners in the region to maintain a constant state of readiness to support any number of missions around the world at any time,” the official said.
Although voluntary departures are not unprecedented, they are typically approved when the security situation in a region begins to deteriorate. U.S. military doctrine, specifically Joint Publication 3-68, provides clear guidelines for such scenarios.
“Voluntary departure of command-sponsored military dependents, nonessential DOD civilian employees and their families, families of essential DOD civilian employees, and DOD dependents schools’ staff and faculty to an announced safe haven is encouraged and authorized at government expense, with return also at government expense,” the document states.
Secretary Hegseth was most recently seen Tuesday at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, where he spoke with military personnel.
With input from Fox News
