The U.S. Navy is preparing to rotate the USS George Washington into the Middle East to replace the USS Abraham Lincoln, according to a Wall Street Journal report Wednesday. The move follows a previously scheduled rotation plan, U.S. officials said. The timing comes as Democratic lawmakers escalate pressure on the Pentagon over deteriorating conditions aboard the Lincoln, where approximately 5,000 sailors and Marines have endured an extended deployment marked by mental health crises and supply shortages.
The USS Abraham Lincoln, originally deployed in November for a seven-month mission to the South China Sea, was redirected to the Arabian Sea in January ahead of Operation Epic Fury against Iran, where it has remained deployed ever since.
The rotation of the George Washington, the Navy's forward-deployed carrier based in Japan, represents a normal operational cycle. Yet the circumstances surrounding the Lincoln's replacement underscore the toll of extended carrier operations in a volatile region.
At least two sailors were stopped from going overboard during the Lincoln's deployment, according to Navy Times reporting Tuesday. Family members told the outlet their loved ones described being in "a deep emotional slump," with one military spouse recounting that her husband sent her a message saying that "he hopes he doesn't wake up tomorrow."
More than 200 family members met with acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao last week to voice concerns. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, speaking from the Senate Armed Services Committee, warned Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth that the Lincoln "has not made a port call in over 200 days, setting a record for consecutive days at sea."
Blumenthal cited "widespread reports of shortages of basic supplies, water contamination, plumbing issues, deteriorating mental health, deck safety concerns, and disruptions in the mail system," along with the loss of care packages stranded in transit for months. Rep. Mike Levin, D-Calif., detailed conditions including moldy showers, broken toilets, no hot water for weeks, and meals consisting of half a cup of rice and two tortillas, with the ship's store depleted of soap, deodorant, and toothpaste.
The Navy disputed reports of rising suicides, telling CNN: "We have not observed an increase in suicidal ideations or attempts aboard the ship." The service said it provides religious, medical, and mental health professionals to crew members.
Blumenthal called for a sustainable force-generation model that "does not rely on repeatedly extending sailors and ships to meet persistent operational demands," arguing that servicemembers "deserve nothing less than the full support of their government."
