US Navy Deploys Aircraft Carrier to Middle East Amid Mental Health Concerns Over Extended Deployment

The US military is taking steps to address concerns over food shortages and mental health issues on board the USS Abraham Lincoln, a US aircraft carrier that has been at sea for nearly nine months.

Relief on the Way

A US aircraft carrier, the USS George Washington, is headed to the Middle East to replace the USS Lincoln, which has faced criticism over its extended deployment.

The USS George Washington, which was near Malaysia on Thursday, could arrive in the region in about nine days, according to BBC analysis.

Family members of sailors onboard the Lincoln have expressed concern about their mental health deteriorating due to the conditions, with some sailors having reportedly attempted to jump overboard.

The US Navy has acknowledged supply challenges, but denied that a mental health crisis is taking place on the Lincoln, which has 5,000 onboard.

President Donald Trump has also spoken out on the issue, denying that family members are concerned about the welfare of their relatives and dismissing the possibility that the deployment had been too long.

Trump confirmed that another ship will replace the Lincoln, although he did not identify it by 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.

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.

Once it arrives in the Middle East, it will be the third aircraft carrier in the area. The USS George HW Bush is also there. No US aircraft carrier will remain in the Pacific.

The Lincoln has been at sea since 11 December on a deployment that was initially slated to end in May, tracking data compiled by BBC Verify shows.

Earlier this week, the Military Times and Stars & Stripes reported that the families of multiple sailors reported that their loved ones considered jumping overboard due to conditions on the vessel.