Lincoln’s record deployment included reports of crew stress, supply shortages
The USS George Washington aircraft carrier arrived in the Middle East on Wednesday and is now operating in the region, U.S. Central Command said Thursday, beginning the relief of the long-deployed USS Abraham Lincoln following its record-setting deployment supporting the Iran war.
The carrier relief follows a Lincoln deployment that included more than 250 consecutive days at sea — a record for uninterrupted time at sea by a U.S. aircraft carrier — and reports of crew stress, poor mental health, and shortages of supplies including food and hygiene products.
The Washington, previously based in Asia, took over from the Lincoln in the U.S. Central Command area of operations. It was not clear when the Abraham Lincoln would arrive back in the United States or whether it would make a port stop along the way, but the carrier’s homeward journey typically takes just over a month.