WASHINGTON (AP) — The Asia-based USS George Washington aircraft carrier is now operating in the Middle East, the US military said Thursday, relieving a long-deployed carrier following reports of mental health challenges and supply shortages aboard while it was supporting the Iran war.
US Central Command, which oversees military operations in the Middle East, said on social media that the carrier arrived in the region Wednesday. It was not clear when the USS Abraham Lincoln would return to the US or whether it would make a port stop along the way, but the journey takes just over a month.
The Washington arrived as concerns have grown about the Lincoln’s lengthy deployment, which has included a record-setting uninterrupted time at sea of more than 250 days, and about reports of crew stress and poor mental health, as well as supply shortages, including food and hygiene products.
Some relatives of service members reported attempted suicides on board.
Several US Democratic lawmakers have pressed the Department of Defense for accountability over conditions aboard the Lincoln, which US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has said were “completely misrepresented.”
