US sends new carrier to Mideast amid USS Lincoln concerns
What's the story
The United States Navy has dispatched the USS George Washington, a Pacific-based aircraft carrier, to the Middle East. The move comes as reports of mental health, with sailors allegedly attempting to jump overboard, and supply issues aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln have emerged. The Lincoln has been on a long deployment supporting the US war against Iran, with an uninterrupted time at sea exceeding 260 days.
Carrier transition
USS George Washington spotted crossing Singapore Strait
According to AP, the USS George Washington left Da Nang, Vietnam, last week and was spotted crossing the Singapore Strait.
A Navy official confirmed that it is now in the Strait of Malacca, heading toward the Indian Ocean.
The Wall Street Journal had earlier reported that this carrier would replace the Lincoln in the region.
Deployment details
'Highly contested environment' has created supply shortages
The Lincoln, which deployed from San Diego on November 21, arrived in the Middle East in January.
Its deployment has been marred by supply shortages due to a "highly contested environment where traditional supply hubs in the Middle East were disrupted by combat actions."
That, in turn, led to shortages and loss of mail aboard the carrier, the Navy said in a statement.
Health issues
Mental health concerns among sailors on the Lincoln
Reports have also emerged of mental health concerns among sailors on the Lincoln.
At a recent town hall meeting in San Diego, around 200 family members confronted Navy leadership over these issues.
According to the Military Times, one spouse revealed her husband texted her saying he hopes he doesn't wake up tomorrow, while one sailor had to allegedly pull back a shipmate who was about to jump overboard.
Lawmakers
Navy said it had 'not observed increase in suicidal ideations'
The Navy said it had "not observed an increase in suicidal ideations or attempts aboard the ship," but officials declined to provide data due to operational security and patient privacy concerns.
The US Central Command, which oversees military operations in the Middle East, also pushed back on reports about poor conditions, saying, "The Sailors and Marines of the Abraham Lincoln....remain resilient and resolved after more than 260 days at sea, 10,000 aircraft flights, and 1.5 million pounds of ordnance expended."
Command response
Abraham Lincoln left San Diego on November 21
The USS Abraham Lincoln left San Diego on November 21 for a Pacific deployment but was redirected to the Middle East after tensions with Iran escalated.
Since then, sailors have had only two days ashore in Guam and Oman. Roughly 5,000 sailors and Marines remain on deployment that began November 21.
Democratic lawmakers are now calling for investigations into conditions aboard the carrier, which was originally scheduled to return home in May.