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Pritzker Presses Pentagon for Answers on Extended USS Abraham Lincoln Deployment
Lawmakers say the carrier has spent more than 260 days deployed, with 200 straight days at sea and reports of shortages and mental health problems.
On Monday, 15 senators demanded Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth provide written answers about conditions aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln, deployed more than 250 days with over 200 consecutive days without a port call.
The Lincoln departed San Diego in November 2025 for an Indo-Pacific mission but was redirected to the Middle East in January as Iran tensions escalated, extending the deployment beyond its original seven-month plan.
Lawmakers labeled the situation "a symptom of poor planning" by Hegseth and President Donald Trump, comparing conditions to the USS Gerald R. Ford, which endured a 281-day deployment earlier this year including a laundry fire that burned 30 hours.
Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao announced Friday the ship will return home, though he did not provide a date; Hegseth dismissed reports of poor conditions as "completely misrepresented."
The military will send the USS George Washington to relieve the Lincoln, though senators warned that once Washington departs the Pacific, the U.S. will lack a forward-deployed carrier in that region.
Daily News podcast featuring Laura Murphy-Oates, Bridie Jabour and Reged Ahmad from The Guardian Australia
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Full Story discuss Democratic lawmakers pressing Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth over conditions on the USS Abraham Lincoln’s extended deployment amid the Iran war