- The crisis on the USS Abraham Lincoln is six months old and self-inflicted; holding one ship past its return date borrows capacity from the next maintenance cycle or another theater.
- The USS George Washington, normally based in Japan, allows the Lincoln to come home but leaves the western Pacific without a US aircraft carrier, closing one gap by opening another.
- In May 2025, an Army sergeant major warned that the Army's operational tempo had surpassed the demands of the war on terror and was threatening readiness, retention, physical and mental health, and family stability.
- Before the conflict, President Trump was warned of risks including a harder-line Iranian leadership, potential closure of the Strait of Hormuz, and drawdowns of precision-guided munitions; military leaders also cited readiness problems for an overstretched force.
- In February 2026, the Trump administration chose to engage in war with Iran, alongside Israel, and did not choose it blindly.
The USS Abraham Lincoln's extended deployment has raised alarms about U.S. military readiness. Deployed for 266 days, with 200 days in combat zones, the Lincoln's situation highlights the strain on maintenance and operational capacity.1
The Navy's own reports indicate that the crisis is self-inflicted, as holding the Lincoln beyond its return date compromises future readiness.
The USS George Washington, typically stationed in Japan, has been called to fill the gap left by the Lincoln's absence, leaving the western Pacific without a U.S. aircraft carrier. This situation underscores the operational tempo challenges faced by the Navy, as noted by previous warnings from military leaders about the risks of overstretching forces.2
In 2015, the U.S. Government Accountability Office cautioned that the pace of deployments was degrading the condition of overseas-based ships, a concern echoed by an Army sergeant major in 2025 regarding the Army's operational tempo.
The implications of these readiness shortfalls are significant, as they threaten not only military effectiveness but also the physical and mental health of service members and their families.
“The crisis stems from the Trump administration's February 2026 decision to engage in war with Iran, despite warnings of a harder-line Iranian leadership and potential closure of the Strait of Hormuz. The USS George Washington's relief allows the Lincoln to return but leaves the western Pacific without a US carrier.”
The Independent
