The USS George Washington is transiting the Strait of Malacca toward the Middle East to relieve the USS Abraham Lincoln, which has spent more than 260 days continuously at sea during the Iran war. The Lincoln deployed from San Diego in November 2025 and arrived in the Middle East in January, ahead of the February 28 start of hostilities.
The Lincoln's prolonged deployment has drawn scrutiny from lawmakers and families. Senator Richard Blumenthal wrote to defense leadership questioning conditions aboard, while Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao faced frustrated families at a town hall who received no timeline for the ship's return. The Navy acknowledged supply disruptions caused by combat but said food shortages have been resolved and denied reports of rising suicidal ideation. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth called some reporting "completely misrepresented".
The Lincoln has logged 10,000 aircraft flights and expended 1.5 million pounds of ordnance, according to CENTCOM. One sailor went overboard in early August but was quickly recovered.