The US aircraft carrier USS George Washington has arrived in the Middle East.
Sea-news.az reports that this was announced by the US Central Command (CENTCOM).
The USS George Washington is expected to replace USS Abraham Lincoln, another US aircraft carrier operating in the region. The latter’s service deployment, which has lasted for more than eight months, has sparked serious concerns regarding the morale of the crew. Although the Abraham Lincoln carrier left the port of San Diego on November 21 for a planned mission in the Pacific, it was urgently redirected to the Middle East following the escalation of conflict with Iran.
The deployment period for the 5,000 service members was originally scheduled to end in May, but has been repeatedly extended since then. In total, the ship has been at sea for approximately nine months.
During this period, the sailors were permitted ashore only twice—in December and July—with their movements strictly restricted to secured port areas.
