- USS George Washington will replace USS Abraham Lincoln in Middle East deployment soon
- USS Abraham Lincoln has spent over 250 consecutive days at sea, a record for the Navy
- Families report stress and incidents of sailors attempting to jump overboard due to fatigue
The US Navy is sending another aircraft carrier to the Middle East to relieve sailors and Marines aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln, whose deployment has stretched beyond 250 days amid growing concerns over conditions on the ship.
According to The Wall Street Journal, the USS George Washington is expected to replace the Lincoln as part of a planned Middle East deployment. The move comes as the Navy faces mounting pressure over the unprecedented length of the Lincoln's mission.
Record Deployment Takes Toll
The Lincoln has been at sea for more than nine months and has gone around 200 days without a port call. The carrier has spent roughly 250 consecutive days at sea, a record that has raised concerns among lawmakers and military families.
US Senator Richard Blumenthal has written to Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth over conditions faced by those aboard the ship. He cited reports of "shortages of basic supplies, water contamination, plumbing issues, deteriorating mental health, deck safety concerns, and disruptions in the mail system".
The extended deployment has also put additional pressure on the carrier itself, its equipment and the nearly 5,000 sailors and Marines serving aboard it.
The concerns have become more serious amid the continuing confrontation with Iran. Although renewed hostilities have eased in recent weeks, the US Navy has reimposed a blockade on Iranian ports around the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz.
George Washington Heads West
The USS George Washington has already begun moving toward the region.
The carrier left Da Nang, Vietnam, last week, according to a report by NPR. It has since been spotted travelling through the Singapore Strait alongside a cruiser and a destroyer.
A US Navy official told the publication that the Washington was in the Strait of Malacca, putting it on a route toward the Indian Ocean.
The Wall Street Journal has reported that the carrier is expected to replace the Lincoln as one of two US aircraft carriers currently deployed in the Middle East.
Hegseth, meanwhile, has argued that the Navy can keep the blockade going despite the strain of extended deployments.
"The United States Navy can maintain a blockade like that because we'll rotate ships in and out, as we have, and we'll continue to," Hegseth said.
He also said he was advising US President Donald Trump to continue using economic pressure against Iran.
Sailors Pushed To The Limit
Families of sailors have described worsening conditions and repeated deployment extensions. Military Times reported multiple incidents involving sailors attempting or considering jumping overboard.
Annabelle Loma told the outlet that her husband tried to jump from the ship after his deployment was extended repeatedly.
She said he was exhausted and worried that the incident could destroy his military career.
"He's scared. He thinks he'll get a dishonourable discharge, and just because he was burnt out his 13-year career is ruined, just like that," she said.
In another reported incident, a sailor's wife said her husband stopped a fellow crew member from jumping overboard, grabbing the sailor and pulling them back onto the deck.
