The U.S. is preparing to send the USS George Washington aircraft carrier to the Middle East to replace the USS Abraham Lincoln after an unusually long deployment that has fueled concerns about conditions for sailors, The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday.
The George Washington's deployment is part of a previously scheduled rotation and was planned before lawmakers raised concerns about conditions aboard the Lincoln, according to U.S. officials cited by the Journal.
The Lincoln began its scheduled deployment in November before being redirected to the Middle East in January ahead of the U.S. war with Iran. Its aircraft played a key role in Operation Epic Fury, the U.S. bombing campaign against Iran, and the carrier has since taken part in the blockade of Iranian ports, according to the Journal.
But the relentless pace has taken a toll. The Lincoln has been deployed for more than 250 days and has gone roughly 200 days without a port call, a record stretch at sea, according to Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn.