The Pacific-based aircraft carrier USS George Washington has begun heading toward the Middle East, according to Navy statements and open source information on the ship’s movements. This comes as reports have emerged of mental health and supply issues aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln, whose long deployment to the Middle East in support of the Iran war includes a record-setting uninterrupted time at sea of more than 240 days.

Deployment Details

The USS George Washington left port in Da Nang, Vietnam, last week, according to a Navy statement. The carrier, along with a cruiser and a destroyer, have since been spotted crossing the Singapore Strait. A Navy official confirmed that the USS George Washington was in the Strait of Malacca, which links the Pacific and Indian oceans. That puts the ship on a course to head into the Indian Ocean.

The USS Abraham Lincoln is one of two aircraft carriers now stationed in the Middle East as the conflict simmers and the Navy imposes a blockade on Iranian ports in the Strait of Hormuz, a critical waterway for the global oil and natural gas trade. The carrier originally deployed Nov. 21 from San Diego, and it arrived in the region in January, ahead of the launch of the Iran war on Feb. 28.

Navy leaders, including acting Secretary Hung Cao, last week held a tense town hall for families of the USS Lincoln at which the commanders of the Navy’s air and surface forces promised to do everything they could to relieve the aircraft carrier. Several Democratic lawmakers have released statements calling for investigations, more information, and greater visibility into conditions aboard the USS Lincoln.

Original reporting: Allentown News – 6abc Philadelphia — read the source article.