In Focus delivers deeper coverage of the political, cultural, and ideological issues shaping America. Published daily by senior writers and experts, these in-depth pieces go beyond the headlines to give readers the full picture. You can find our full list of In Focus pieces here.News about the problems aboard the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln is another tangible sign that America’s military is overstretched. Thankfully, help is on the way — if Congress will pay for it.Forget arguing over whether the crewmembers on the Lincoln are suffering from bad food or mental health problems, as is alleged. The undeniable fact is that the ship just set a record for the length of time deployed without a port call. Spending 260 days at sea without ever getting off a ship would be taxing for anyone, much less for sailors operating in a war zone for most of that period.
One might wonder why the ship was deployed for so long, given that America has 11 carriers in its fleet. But that doesn’t mean all of them are available at any one time. Many are regularly in their home ports, undergoing regular maintenance or scheduled multiyear refurbishing. That significantly reduces the number of carriers that could have replaced the Lincoln before the recent troubles emerged.The administration’s usage of the carrier fleet in action against Venezuela and Iran has exacerbated this shortage. The USS Gerald Ford recently returned to Norfolk, Virginia, after spending nearly 10 months at sea supporting operations against the two tyrannies. Delays in completing the USS John F. Kennedy prevent that ship from being deployed, while the rest of the carrier fleet is either undergoing maintenance or refurbishment. The USS George Washington, the only carrier available to replace the Lincoln, arrived in the Middle East this week.The USS Abraham Lincoln conducts blockade operations related to the Strait of Hormuz in the Arabian Sea on April 16. (Handout Photo by the U.S. Navy via Getty Images)
