After nearly 275 days at sea, the USS Abraham Lincoln is heading home while another American carrier takes its place in the Middle East.
U.S. military operations against Iran kept the San Diego-based carrier at sea months beyond its originally expected six-month deployment, NBC News reported.
Earlier this week, the Lincoln began its journey home and should reach San Diego in the coming weeks, a U.S. official told NBC News.
Meanwhile, the USS George Washington arrived in the Middle East on Wednesday to replace the Lincoln, according to U.S. Central Command.
Lincoln Crew Faced Lengthy Deployment
The Lincoln left its San Diego homeport on November 21 for what officials initially expected to be a six-month deployment, as The Dallas Express previously reported. U.S. military operations against Iran ultimately stretched the mission to about nine months.
The carrier went more than 200 days without making a port call, according to a U.S. official.
The extended deployment has prompted concerns from relatives of sailors, who have described shortages of food and other supplies, sanitation problems, and deteriorating morale, The Dallas Express reported.
Some family members have also reported concerns about the mental health of sailors aboard the ship. U.S. officials have confirmed several man-overboard incidents, although they have said those incidents do not indicate a broader mental health crisis throughout the crew.
One mother said her son expected a deployment of about six months. After going weeks without hearing from him, she said he told her he was hungry, losing weight and sometimes lacked hot water, NBC News reported.
After the Navy extended the carrier’s deployment, the Lincoln’s crew reportedly endured lengthy delays in receiving mail.
Navy Officials Praise Crew
U.S. Central Command commander Adm. Brad Cooper visited the Lincoln over the weekend and told sailors and Marines they were going home.
In a Wall Street Journal opinion piece, Cooper praised the crew’s performance during what he described as an exceptionally demanding deployment.
“History will record this deployment as one of the most operationally intense and consequential of the modern era,” Cooper wrote, Audacy reported.
Cooper also said the ship’s leadership had made mental health and resilience a priority.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth rejected reports of dire conditions aboard the Lincoln last week, calling them “completely misrepresented.”
President Donald Trump has also dismissed concerns about the length of the deployment, pointing to longer deployments in the Navy’s past.
USS George Washington Arrives In Middle East
The USS George Washington arrived in the Middle East Wednesday, according to U.S. Central Command, providing a replacement for the Lincoln as the carrier heads home.
The Washington joins the USS George H.W. Bush in the region as U.S. forces continue operations connected to the conflict with Iran.
The transition comes as the Navy continues to deal with the demands created by extended operations. Renewed U.S. military activity in the region has also contributed to questions about how long American forces will remain deployed.
By moving the Washington to the Middle East, the Navy temporarily left the Asia-Pacific region without an American aircraft carrier strike group, though it could send another carrier there in the coming months.
Dispute Over Resupply Problems
Questions about the Lincoln’s condition have also led to a dispute over whether damage to a major U.S. military logistics facility contributed to the reported supply problems.
MS NOW national security reporter David Rohde alleged that Iranian attacks damaged Naval Support Activity Bahrain, a major U.S. resupply location, and that the Pentagon did not publicly disclose the extent of the damage.
Rohde specifically accused Hegseth of concealing information about the facility and said the damage forced the Navy to shift supply operations farther away from the carrier’s operating area.
The Wall Street Journal analyzed satellite imagery showing damage to command facilities, other buildings and satellite communications equipment at the Bahrain installation following Iranian strikes, Newsweek reported.
Reports have indicated that some supply operations were moved to a British facility on Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean, more than 2,000 miles from the area where U.S. carrier groups had been operating.
However, the allegation that Hegseth intentionally concealed the damage has not been independently established.
Acting Pentagon Press Secretary Joel Valdez strongly rejected Rohde’s account, calling the claims false and accusing MS NOW of spreading misinformation.
The dispute adds another layer to the questions surrounding the Lincoln’s prolonged deployment and the reports of supply difficulties experienced by its crew.
Lincoln Begins Journey Home
The Lincoln’s return will end one of the Navy’s longest recent carrier deployments. Officials expect the ship to arrive in San Diego in the coming weeks.
For the sailors and Marines aboard, the homeward journey follows months of extended operations, limited port access and growing scrutiny over conditions aboard the carrier.
Provided by Dallas Express
