The USS George Washington is heading to the Middle East amid reports of deteriorating conditions on the USS Abraham Lincoln during the war with Iran.
The Wall Street Journal, quoting US officials, was the first media outlet to report that the USS George Washington would be heading to the region for a scheduled deployment to replace the Lincoln. The Lincoln has become a subject of controversy in recent weeks over reports of deteriorating conditions for sailors.
Shortages of basic hygiene items, smaller portions at meals and disruptions to the mail system have been reported. Other reports have mentioned mould in showers, broken toilets and a lack of hot water.
There have also been reports of crewmen attempting to jump overboard. US Central Command said that a person who fell overboard in early August was quickly rescued. The Navy Times reported that families of crewmen have been told several people have attempted the same.
The Lincoln, which carries about 5,000 sailors, began its deployment on November 21 last year, and was sent to the Middle East in January. In the months since, it has been supporting US operations against Iran.
The Lincoln has been at sea for about 260 days, an unusually long deployment – it was supposed to end in May. The average deployment time for US aircraft carriers is five to seven months, but this appears to have changed with the Iran conflict. The USS Gerald Ford returned home in May after 11 months at sea, the longest deployment since the Vietnam War.
However long the deployment, US naval aircraft carriers typically make port calls every four to six weeks, allowing the ship to resupply and the crew to rest. The Lincoln has made only one port call since its deployment – in December of last year.
The Pentagon has pushed back on reports of low supplies and frustrated crewmen. Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth said on Thursday that the reports were “completely misrepresented”.
“We make sure that every ship, every crew, every captain has everything we can provide them at every single moment,” he told Newsmax. “Some deployments are longer than others, and I have more respect and gratitude for those sailors than anybody.”
Centcom, which overseas US military interests in the Middle East, called the reports “false”.
“USS Abraham Lincoln has maintained among the highest crew re-enlistment rates (84.4 per cent) of all aircraft carriers in the US Navy,” Centcom said in a post on X, stating that no service members have died. “The rampant misreporting on Abraham Lincoln's historic deployment is a disservice to our men and women in uniform and their loved ones.”
Still, families and politicians are demanding answers. MS NOW reported that family members attended a virtual meeting last week with acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao, and raised several concerns about sailors’ mental health, exhaustion and safety,
Democratic Congresswoman Sarah Jacobs, who represents San Diego, where the Lincoln is based, said sailors were “going through hell”.
“The sailors and marines on board the USS Lincoln are going through hell because they've been at sea for months,” she said on social media. “I'm concerned about their mental health and readiness. This is a personnel issue and a national security risk. We must end the Iran war now.”
Democratic Senator Ruben Gallego, a former US marine, called on the Department of the Navy to allow members of Congress to visit the Lincoln to conduct an oversight investigation.
