USS Abraham Lincoln Finally Departs the Middle East
The United States military announced the arrival of the aircraft carrier USS George Washington in the Middle East on Thursday (20/8) local time. This follows sharp criticism of the dire conditions aboard another US carrier, the USS Abraham Lincoln, which had been deployed for an exceptionally long period.
In a statement via social media platform X, as reported by AFP on Friday (21/8/2026), US Central Command (CENTCOM), which oversees US military operations in the Middle East, announced that the USS George Washington and its strike group were operating in the Middle East to replace the USS Abraham Lincoln.
“The George Washington Carrier Strike Group is operating in the Middle East on a scheduled deployment after arriving in the CENTCOM area of operations yesterday,” CENTCOM said on Thursday (20/8) local time.
The deployment of the USS George Washington to the Middle East was ordered by US President Donald Trump several days after media reports emerged about poor conditions aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln, which had been deployed since November 2025 in the South China Sea before being diverted to the Middle East.
The media reports triggered unwanted disruption for Trump amid his efforts to promote a war against Iran that has lacked domestic support in the United States.
The USS Abraham Lincoln had been deployed to the Middle East throughout the war Trump has waged against Iran since late February.
The extended deployment drew criticism among politicians in Washington DC, with the US carrier reported to have sailed for more than 240 days at sea, 200 of which were without transiting or stopping at any port.
A US official confirmed the Lincoln’s departure, a matter previously alluded to by Admiral Brad Cooper, head of CENTCOM, in an opinion article about the Abraham Lincoln published in The Wall Street Journal.
“Fair winds and following seas, and enjoy the reunion you have earned,” Cooper wrote, as quoted by The New York Times on Friday (21/8/2026).
Several media outlets, including military-focused publications, citing accounts from family members of US military personnel assigned to the USS Abraham Lincoln, reported that living conditions aboard the carrier had deteriorated, with problems including food shortages and damage to the water system.
The mental state of US military personnel assigned to the USS Abraham Lincoln also raised concerns. There were even reports of several suicide attempts aboard the US carrier.
Trump dismissed the concerns that emerged, but confirmed that another US carrier would replace the USS Abraham Lincoln.
The USS George Washington, which is based in Japan, previously operated in the Pacific region. Its deployment to the Middle East means that, for the time being, there are no US aircraft carriers in that region. This is seen as an advantage for China, which is increasingly assertive in extending its influence in the area.