BREAKING: Following "hellish" conditions aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln, the US is sending the aircraft carrier USS George Washington to the Middle East to replace the USS Abraham Lincoln, which has now been deployed for more than 250 days, setting a record for consecutive days at sea, per WSJ.
The catastrophic conditions include shortages of basic supplies, sailors running out of toothpaste and soap, water contamination, plumbing issues, deteriorating mental health, deck safety concerns, food shortages, and disruptions in the mail system with care packages lost in transit for months. Multiple sailors have tried jumping overboard and attempted suicide.
The USS George Washington is being escorted by the USS Robert Smalls and USS Shoup moving westbound together toward the Strait of Malacca, with the expected arrival in the Middle East being roughly 8 days.