Navy dispatches new aircraft carrier to Middle East to relieve USS Abraham Lincoln
TheNavyis moving another aircraft carrier toward theMiddle Eastto relieve theUSS Abraham Lincolnafter its deployment stretched beyond eight months andreports of dire conditionsaboard the vessel emerged. TheUSS. . .
TheNavyis moving another aircraft carrier toward theMiddle Eastto relieve theUSS Abraham Lincolnafter its deployment stretched beyond eight months andreports of dire conditionsaboard the vessel emerged. TheUSS George Washington, the Navy’s only forward-deployed aircraft carrier, was traveling west from the Pacific and was spotted moving through the Strait of Malacca, according to ship tracking data posted to social media and multiple reports. The route puts the carrier on a path toward the Indian Ocean and eventually the Middle East. TheGeorge Washingtonleft Da Nang, Vietnam, last week following a port visit. The carrier is based in Yokosuka, Japan, and typically operates in the western Pacific. Its movement comes as theLincolnnears nine months of deployment as the war withIrancontinues, an unusually long stretch that has drawn criticism for the effect on service members and the conditions aboard the ship. The San Diego-based carrier departed its home port in November and arrived in the Middle East in January, before the Iran conflict ignited. TheLincolnhas played a central role in U. S. military operations in the region, including Operation Epic Fury and efforts to enforce a naval blockade of Iranian ports. The carrier has remained at sea for more than 250 days and has gone roughly 200 days without a port call. Service members have reported to their families about a severe lack of supplies, including no fresh food such as fruits and vegetables, according totext messagespublished byMeidasTouchNews. Secretary of WarPete Hegsethhas attempted to quell reports of spartan-like conditions and poor morale aboard the vessel. Hegseth told Newsmanx that his department works to ensure “every ship, every crew, every captain has everything we can provide them at every single moment. ”NAVY ADMITS ‘SIGNIFICANT STRAIN’ ON DEPLOYED SERVICE MEMBERS AFTER REPORTS OF WORSENING MENTAL HEALTH“I want them home as soon as everybody else,” Hegseth said. “I want folks rotated as quickly as possible. I want the best for them. My commanders know that, our service secretaries know that, the president expects that. ”TheGeorge Washingtonis a nuclear-powered Nimitz-class carrier that can accommodate over 6,000 service members.