A Carrier on the Move
The George Washington left port in Da Nang, Vietnam, last week, according to a Navy statement. The carrier, accompanied by a cruiser and a destroyer, has since been spotted crossing the Singapore Strait.
A Navy official, speaking anonymously to discuss sensitive ship movements, confirmed the Washington was in the Strait of Malacca, the passage linking the Pacific and Indian oceans. That course points the carrier toward the Indian Ocean and onward to the Middle East, where it is expected to replace the Lincoln as one of the two carriers stationed in the region.
The swap carries a strategic cost: the Pacific would be left without a US carrier presence for an unknown period. The Trump administration has accepted that trade-off, viewing China as "a settled force" that needs deterring rather than the top global adversary it was considered under the previous administration.
260 Days at Sea and Counting
The Lincoln's numbers explain the strain. The carrier deployed from San Diego on November 21, arrived in the Middle East in January, and has been supporting the US war against Iran since it began on February 28. Its crew was originally due home in May.
Instead, the ship has logged more than 260 uninterrupted days at sea, a record. And with the Navy reimposing a blockade on Iranian ports in the Strait of Hormuz, the mission has no clear end date. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told reporters the US can maintain the blockade "indefinitely."
Food First, Then Hygiene, Then Mail
The Navy has acknowledged real supply problems. The war created a "highly contested environment where traditional supply hubs in the Middle East were disrupted by combat actions," the service said in a statement, leading to shortages and lost mail aboard the carrier.
"Leadership prioritized mission-critical supplies: first food, then hygiene items, then mail," the statement said. The Navy says sailors now have access to clean water and "healthy meal options."
That admission lands differently against the Navy's earlier posture. When reports of food shortages first surfaced in April, the service called them "false."
The Mental Health Question
More troubling reports followed. Sailors aboard the Lincoln are said to be struggling with mental health concerns. The Navy says it has "not observed an increase in suicidal ideations or attempts aboard the ship," but declined to release data, citing operational security and patient privacy.
One incident stands out. A sailor went overboard in early August, according to the Navy official. The person was quickly recovered, treated by the ship's medical department and transferred off the ship for follow-on care. The official would not say whether it was considered a suicide attempt.
Congress Wants Answers
Democratic lawmakers are pressing the Pentagon for investigations and transparency.
Connecticut Sen. Richard Blumenthal, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, sent Navy leadership a letter demanding answers, writing that the Lincoln's prolonged deployment matters because it comes amid "continuing military operations against Iran" and the possibility that substantial naval forces stay in the region for an extended period.
Arizona Sen. Ruben Gallego, a Marine Corps veteran, went further. He said he wants to lead a bipartisan oversight delegation to the ship, calling the treatment of sailors "not just disgusting; it's dangerous."
The Pentagon Pushes Back
Hegseth, speaking during a visit to Panama, said he wants the Lincoln's sailors home and crews rotated as quickly as possible, but rejected the characterization of conditions aboard.
"We make sure that every ship, every crew, every captain has everything we can provide them at every single moment," he said. "What they do in those high seas in those austere conditions with less port calls, it's incredible."
US Central Command took to social media with its own defense: "The Sailors and Marines of the Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group remain resilient and resolved after more than 260 days at sea, 10,000 aircraft flights, and 1.5 million pounds of ordnance expended."
Behind closed doors, the tone was tenser. Navy leaders, including acting Secretary Hung Cao, held a town hall last week for families of the Lincoln's crew, where the commanders of the Navy's air and surface forces promised to do everything they could to relieve the carrier.
A Fleet Stretched Thin
The Lincoln is not an isolated case. The USS Gerald R. Ford returned home in mid-May after an 11-month deployment, the longest since the Vietnam War, supporting the Iran war and the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro. During that run, a fire in a laundry space forced the Ford back to the Mediterranean for repairs and left hundreds of sailors without places to sleep.
The pattern predates the Iran conflict. Ships battling Houthi rebels in Yemen in 2024 and 2025 suffered a series of mishaps, including aboard the USS Harry S. Truman during its own longer-than-expected deployment.
What Comes Next
The George Washington's transit through the Indian Ocean will take time, and the Navy has not said when the handoff happens. Until then, the Lincoln's crew keeps counting days at sea while Congress counts unanswered questions. Gallego's proposed oversight visit and Blumenthal's letter put the Pentagon on notice: the sailors may rotate home, but the scrutiny is just getting started.
FAQ
Why is the USS George Washington heading to the Middle East?
It is expected to replace the USS Abraham Lincoln as one of the two US carriers stationed in the region after the Lincoln's record-setting deployment.
How long has the USS Lincoln been at sea?
More than 260 uninterrupted days, a record. It deployed from San Diego on November 21 and was originally due home in May.
What problems have been reported aboard the Lincoln?
Supply shortages including food, hygiene items and lost mail, plus reports of mental health struggles among sailors. The Navy admits war-disrupted supply lines caused shortages but denies a rise in suicidal ideations.
What is Congress doing about it?
Sen. Richard Blumenthal sent Navy leadership a letter demanding answers, and Sen. Ruben Gallego wants to lead a bipartisan oversight visit to the ship.
What does the move mean for the Pacific?
The Pacific would be left without a US carrier presence for an unknown period, a trade-off the administration accepts under its view of China as "a settled force."
