US Navy Prepares Aircraft Carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt For Middle East Deployment To Relieve USS George Washington

The USS Theodore Roosevelt, a Nimitz-class supercarrier currently at Naval Base San Diego, will deploy to the Middle East for more than seven months to relieve the USS George Washington in ongoing U.S. military operations against Iran. The deployment follows reports of mental health crises aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln, which has spent over 250 days at sea, prompting Navy leadership to address concerns about extended deployment schedules and sailor welfare. The Theodore Roosevelt completed the Rim of the Pacific 2026 exercises and is expected to make a brief stop in Thailand in September before proceeding to the region.