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Sailors and Marines line the deck of the USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72) as it departs San Diego on January 3, 2021 (local time). / AP-Yonhap

U.S. government officials say the Defense Department is pursuing a force rotation, replacing the USS Abraham Lincoln — currently deployed in the Middle East — with the USS George Washington, the Wall Street Journal reported on the 13th (local time).

The Lincoln departed last November and moved into the Middle East theater in January, carrying out operations since then. With more than 250 days of deployment, the carrier recently logged 200 consecutive days at sea without a port call.

Concerns have emerged, particularly in Congress, over living conditions aboard the Lincoln and crew fatigue from the extended deployment.

Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D) sent a letter to Pentagon leadership citing reports of disrupted supplies, plumbing issues, and mail delays aboard the ship, urging that measures be put in place.

Sen. Ruben Gallego (D) is also pursuing an on-site inspection to assess service members' welfare.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth dismissed the concerns at a press conference, saying every ship and crew is receiving the supplies it needs in a timely manner.

A Navy official also said the service continues to monitor crew members' mental health and is providing necessary support through medical and chaplain personnel.

Military officials stressed that this carrier swap is part of a previously planned regular rotation.

With the George Washington — homeported in Japan and recently operating in the South China Sea — now moving to the Middle East, concerns have emerged over a potential gap in naval presence in the Pacific.

Military analysts note that as available U.S. Navy assets in the Indo-Pacific decline, and as extended operations push back ship maintenance schedules, restoring overall military readiness could take time — a gap they say will become especially pronounced as China expands its regional influence, backed by its own aircraft carriers.

                                                                                                           Lee Jeong-eun