The aircraft carrier USS George Washington departed Da Nang, Vietnam, this week en route to the Middle East to relieve the USS Abraham Lincoln, which has been deployed there for over 266 days [1, 2, 3]. The USS Abraham Lincoln’s deployment is among the longest continuous US Navy carrier missions in modern times [1, 2, 4, 3, 5].
Since leaving San Diego on November 21, 2025, the Lincoln made only two brief port stops—a one-day visit to Guam in December 2025 and a restricted resupply stop in Oman in July 2026 [2, 4, 3]. The carrier has been conducting maritime blockade operations near the Strait of Hormuz in support of US-Israeli military actions against Iran [1, 2, 4, 3, 5].
The Lincoln’s crew of about 5,000 sailors and Marines has faced mental health and supply challenges aboard. Reports describe food shortages, broken toilets and showers, and episodes of sailor burnout including at least one attempted jump overboard, which a sailor’s wife attributed to “severe burnout” [1, 2, 4, 3, 5]. Despite these accounts, Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth have denied there is a mental health crisis, calling the reports “completely misrepresented” and stating they have not seen increases in suicidal ideation [2, 3, 5]. Cao said, “The USS Abraham Lincoln crushed their deployment and will return home soon as part of a planned rotation. Let me be clear: the safety and security of our Sailors and Marines always comes first” [5]. Admiral Brad Cooper, visiting the Lincoln on August 16, acknowledged the deployment’s toll: “Service at sea for long periods isn’t for everyone ... It is uniquely challenging and tough” [4].
The USS George Washington, based in Japan, will replace the Lincoln in the Middle East. Its departure from the Pacific leaves no US carrier currently stationed in the western Pacific region [1, 2, 3]. While the Pentagon has not officially confirmed the rotation, the presence of the George Washington in the region signals a planned handover [1, 2, 3].
The Lincoln’s deployment, originally scheduled to end in May 2026, was extended indefinitely due to the ongoing US-Israeli conflict with Iran [2, 3]. Acting Navy Secretary Cao announced on August 14 that the Lincoln would return home soon as part of a planned rotation [5]. The George Washington’s arrival in the Middle East is expected shortly to complete that relief.
