The U.S. is preparing to send the aircraft carrier USS George Washington to the Middle East to replace the USS Abraham Lincoln, which has spent more than 250 days deployed amid the war with Iran and ongoing U.S. operations in the region, according to The Wall Street Journal.

The George Washington is being sent as part of a previously scheduled rotation. The Lincoln began a scheduled deployment in November and was redirected to the Middle East in January ahead of the U.S. war against Iran. Its carrier and embarked aircraft played a role in the U.S. Operation Epic Fury bombing campaign and subsequently participated in the American blockade of Iranian ports.

The extended deployment has drawn growing attention from lawmakers over conditions facing sailors aboard the Lincoln. Sen. Richard Blumenthal wrote to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao citing “widespread reports of shortages of basic supplies, water contamination, plumbing issues, deteriorating mental health, deck safety concerns, and disruptions in the mail system.”

The Lincoln has now been deployed for more than 250 days and has gone 200 days without a port call, setting a record for consecutive days at sea.

Rep. Marlin Stutzman said he plans to seek an update from the Pentagon and the administration, saying service members need the comfort of knowing “that they’re getting properly taken care of.”

Sailors have also faced food shortages and shortages of basic items including toothpaste and soap, while lawmakers have raised concerns about exhaustion and deteriorating mental health. The Navy did not immediately respond to a request for comment about conditions aboard the carrier.

The George Washington, which is based in Japan, has recently been operating in the Pacific and transited the Strait of Malacca alongside guided-missile destroyers this week. A U.S. official stressed that the carrier rotation had been planned before concerns emerged about conditions aboard the Lincoln.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)