The USS George Washington is traveling to replace the USS Abraham Lincoln in the Middle East after reports of food shortages and difficult conditions on the Lincoln, which has been at sea for nearly nine months with 5,000 sailors aboard. According to tracking data, the USS George Washington will arrive in about nine days and become the third aircraft carrier in the region. Family members of sailors have expressed concern over their mental health deteriorating due to the prolonged deployment, with some reportedly attempting to jump overboard. US President Donald Trump has dismissed concerns over the deployment's length, saying it was "not nearly long enough".
Written by the local model on 2026-08-16,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
Thousands of US sailors, including about 5,000 people living aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier, have been facing food shortages, broken plumbing, and exhaustion during a nine-month deployment in the Middle East. The conditions on the ship have raised alarms among lawmakers, with some calling for an investigation into the situation.
The USS Abraham Lincoln has been at sea since November 2025, with reports emerging of attempts by sailors to jump overboard and concerns about their mental health. Family members have expressed worries about the crew's well-being, citing a lack of supplies and food on board.
In response to these concerns, US President Donald Trump dismissed them, saying that family members were not worried about the situation on the ship. However, he also confirmed that another ship, the USS George Washington, would soon replace the Lincoln in the region.
The USS Abraham Lincoln's deployment has been repeatedly extended, with no return date announced. The situation has sparked criticism of President Trump's handling of the war against Iran and the treatment of US military personnel.
Meanwhile, a new US aircraft carrier strike group, led by the USS George Washington, arrived in the Middle East to relieve the long-deployed USS Abraham Lincoln.
Written for “US Aircraft Carrier Issues” on 2026-08-31,
grounded in this article and the 7 other(s) covering the same event.
- Published
A US aircraft carrier is headed to the Middle East to replace the USS Abraham Lincoln, on which thousands of sailors have reportedly faced food shortages and difficult conditions on an extended, nine-month deployment.
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thousands → publish → deployment
The USS George Washington, which was near Malaysia on Thursday, could arrive in the region in about nine days, BBC analysis shows.
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analysis → arrive → days
Family members of sailors aboard the Lincoln have expressed concern about their mental health deteriorating due to the conditions, with some sailors having reportedly attempted to jump overboard.
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sailors → express → conditions
While the US Navy has acknowledged supply challenges, it has denied that a mental health crisis was taking place on the Lincoln, which has 5,000 aboard.
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which → acknowledge → 5,000
US President Donald Trump denied that family members were concerned about the welfare of their relatives and dismissed the possibility that the deployment had been too long.
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deployment → deny → possibility
"Not nearly long enough," he told reprters on Friday.
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he → tell → Friday
Trump also confirmed that another ship will replace the Lincoln, although he did not identify it by name.
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he → confirm → name
The USS George Washington left a naval facility in Yokosuka, Japan in May to patrol the Pacific region and is now headed to replace the Lincoln, CBS News, the BBC's US partner, reported, citing a US official.
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News → leave → official
Tracking data compiled by BBC Verify shows that at its last recorded speed, the vessel would reach Duqm port in Oman, about 500 miles off the coast of Iran, around 22 August.
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vessel → compile → August
Once it arrives in the Middle East, it will be the third aircraft carrier in the area.
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it → arrive → area
No US aircraft carrier will remain in the Pacific.
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carrier → remain → Pacific
The Lincoln has been at sea since 11 December on a deployment that was initially scheduled to end in May, tracking data compiled by BBC Verify shows.
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data → schedule → Verify
Earlier this week, the Military Times and Stars & Stripes reported that the families of multiple sailors reported that their loved ones had considered jumping overboard due to conditions on the vessel.
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ones → report → vessel
The conditions have reportedly included poor sanitation, infrequent ports-of-call, broken plumbing, exhaustion and shortages of fresh food.
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conditions → include → food
In an interview with the BBC, a relative of a sailor on the Lincoln claimed that their family member had lost 65lbs (29kg) since the ship headed out to sea and had been suffering from exhaustion because of the constant noise of aircraft and the ship's vibrations.
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ship → claim → aircraft
The person, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to concerns about retaliation, said that their relative confirmed sailors had attempted to jump from the ship.
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sailors → speak → ship
Jefferson Kelly, whose son Jackson is on the Lincoln, told CBS that he had grown concerned after nearly nine months at sea.
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he → tell → sea
Deployments typically last about six months.
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Deployments → last → ?
"They should not be deployed this long," he said.
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he → deploy → ?
And they take a lot of maintenance, a lot of work.
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they → take → work
"I would get on a plane or helicopter tonight if it meant bringing him home to his mum and his siblings and his family," he added.
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he → get → mum
The US Navy has denied any increase in suicidal behaviour on the Lincoln, but has acknowledged that supplies had been "disrupted by combat actions" during the war with Iran.
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supplies → deny → Iran
Democratic lawmakers have expressed concern over the conditions on the ship.
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lawmakers → express → ship
In a letter to Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao on Wednesday, Connecticut Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal said that reports of shortages and poor conditions "warrant immediate attention".
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reports → say → attention
"But they also raise a broader question: whether the Navy can sustain the operational tempo now being demanded of its carrier force," he added.
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he → raise → force
Hegseth has said that some of the media reports have been "completely misrepresented".
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some → say → reports
He told reporters on Thursday that the US government was was making sure "every ship, every crew, every captain has everything we can provide them at every single moment".
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we → tell → moment
