Trump speaks in Washington
U.S. President Donald Trump answered reporters' questions in Washington on Friday about living conditions aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln and the concerns of crew members' families. Asked whether the relatives of those serving aboard the carrier were worried, Trump said, “No, they are not worried.”
Trump also rejected the assessment that the aircraft carrier's deployment had lasted longer than necessary. Arguing that the mission had not lasted too long and had not even lasted long enough, Trump said the U.S. Navy would soon replace the vessel with a similar aircraft carrier.
Preparations underway for Middle East rotation
U.S. officials said final preparations were continuing to send the USS George Washington to the Middle East in place of the USS Abraham Lincoln. The change will take place as part of a previously planned rotation.
The USS Abraham Lincoln is expected to undergo the necessary maintenance after the rotation. The vessel has been deployed in the Middle East for more than 250 days.
The rotation plan for the aircraft carriers had been drawn up before concerns about living conditions aboard the vessel came to the fore.
Families discuss living conditions aboard the carrier
Families of some U.S. Navy personnel expressed concern several days ago about the living conditions of their relatives serving aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln. The families said their relatives were worried because of the difficult conditions aboard the vessel and the length of the mission.
Complaints about the crew's morale, safety and living conditions aboard the vessel emerged during the aircraft carrier's ninth month of deployment.
In their statements, the families alleged that the USS Abraham Lincoln had taken part in attacks against Iran in the Strait of Hormuz and that the ship's personnel had faced difficult conditions during the process. The statements came about five months after reciprocal attacks began between the United States and Iran.
