The Wall Street Journal reported on the 13th that the US is preparing to send the USS Washington aircraft carrier to the Middle East to replace the USS Lincoln, which has faced criticism over living conditions and crew mental health.
The report, citing US officials, said this rotation plan had been made before concerns about living conditions aboard the Lincoln were raised.
According to the US Naval Institute News, the Japan-based USS Washington strike group left Yokosuka, Japan in May. On the 13th of this month, the carrier, accompanied by a cruiser and a destroyer, entered the Strait of Malacca after passing through the Singapore Strait.
The Wall Street Journal reported that the USS Lincoln carrier began its planned deployment in November last year and was sent to the Middle East in January this year to take part in the US military's "Operation Enduring Fury" against Iran and the US-led maritime blockade against Iran. Recently, however, it has been reported that the Lincoln's sailors are struggling with living conditions and mental health issues due to the high operational tempo and extended deployment. Some reports have claimed that multiple crew members suffered mental breakdowns and attempted to jump overboard.
The USS Lincoln has been at sea for more than eight months so far, remaining unmoored for 250 consecutive days during this period.
Denying Rumors of Deaths Among USS Lincoln Crew
However, US Central Command issued a statement on the 13th denying media reports of fatal fights and a surge in suicidal thoughts among sailors aboard the Lincoln in the Middle East, stating that there have been no service member deaths on the carrier.
The statement said that in the past 48 hours, several media outlets released multiple pieces of false information about the USS Lincoln. One report claimed that seven sailors died from fighting, while another alleged an increase in suicidal thoughts among the crew—both of these are “entirely false information.”
On the 13th, US Secretary of War Hegseth also told the media that reports of harsh conditions on the USS Lincoln were a complete distortion of the facts.