USS George Washington Arrives in CENTCOM, Replaces Strained Lincoln

Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said last week that reports of supply shortages and other problems on the ship warranted attention. "These reports warrant immediate attention," Blumenthal said in a statement. "They also raise a broader question: whether the Navy can sustain the operational tempo now being demanded of its carrier force, particularly as this Administration repeatedly commits U.S. forces to conflicts of its own choosing and increasingly relies on aircraft carriers to sustain those operations."

The Washington's move to the Arabian Sea leaves the U.S. Navy without an aircraft carrier in the Western Pacific, a region that has been a focal point of its deployment for years. The Lincoln was originally deployed off the coast of Venezuela and was sent to the Middle East after the United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran in February.

About 5,000 people are on board the Lincoln. Family members of several crew members have publicly expressed concerns about their wellbeing.