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By Ellie Cook
Senior Defense Reporter
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The deployment of the USS George H.W. Bush aircraft carrier to the Middle East has been extended, according to a new report, following the record-breaking deployment of the USS Abraham Lincoln, which raised serious concerns about the welfare of U.S. personnel serving at sea for prolonged periods.
U.S. Navy officials told families of service members aboard the Bush that their relatives would not return home for the holidays and that the deployment could last as long as a year, according to a meeting recording obtained by MSNOW.
A Pentagon official told Newsweek the Department of Defense does not discuss "future or hypothetical movements" to protect operational security. The U.S. Navy has been contacted for comment.
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Most carrier deployments last between six and seven months, although they can be extended. They typically include port calls to replenish supplies and allow crew members to rest.
Aircraft carriers operate alongside other warships, including destroyers, and carry an embarked air wing, together forming a carrier strike group. The Bush carrier strike group is currently deployed in the Arabian Sea along with the USS George Washington and its accompanying ships.
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The Bush left Norfolk, Virginia, on March 31. The Lincoln returned to its home port in San Diego, California, on October 8, after departing the West Coast in November 2025.
The Lincoln made brief stops in Guam in December 2025 and September 2026, and in Oman in July 2026. According to the Navy, its crew spent 208 uninterrupted days at sea between the December Guam stop and the July Oman stop, setting a record for modern aircraft carriers.
In the weeks leading up to the *Lincoln'*s arrival in Thailand, family members and U.S. lawmakers raised concerns that the roughly 5,000 personnel aboard the carrier were overworked, and lacked access to basic hygiene supplies and adequate nutrition.
A 2025 study by researchers including those at the U.S. Naval Health Research Center found that sailors experienced significant stressors while at sea, including inadequate rest and limited access to mental-health care. Nearly half of the 441 sailors surveyed said services to help them manage stress were inadequate.
Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao said there had been eight suicide attempts across the Lincoln carrier strike group during its deployment, according to a September 22 letter to Senator Kirsten Gillibrand.
“I’m sorry, I’ve been there. I know what it feels like; I know how hard it is when your kids are asking, ‘When’s daddy coming home? When’s mommy coming home?’” Cao told roughly 500 family members of Bush personnel during a meeting in Norfolk on Monday, according to MS NOW.
The Bush's crew went 187 days without a port call before stopping in Thailand for four days in early October, MSNOW reported.
Admiral Karl Thomas, commander of U.S. Fleet Forces Command, told family members on Monday that Iran had "peppered" U.S. ships in the Middle East, including with drones, according to MSNOW.
"It’s hard to defend and that’s what those sailors are doing," Thomas reportedly said.
More than eight months after the U.S. and Israel launched strikes against Iran, there is little sign of an imminent peace agreement, although the intensity of the conflict has eased since its opening weeks.
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How Do The Bush and Lincoln Compare?
Both the Bush and Lincoln are Nimitz-class nuclear-powered aircraft carriers. The U.S. Navy operates two classes of nuclear-powered aircraft carriers: the Nimitz class and the Ford class.
The Navy has 10 Nimitz-class aircraft carriers, while the USS Gerald R. Ford is the only operational Ford-class carrier. The newer class is expected to gradually replace the Nimitz-class ships over the coming decades.
The Bush is the newer carrier, commissioned in January 2009. The Office of Naval Research said it incorporated a "number of improvements" over earlier Nimitz-class carriers, including upgraded data-management systems and redesigned propellers. It also incorporates larger air-conditioning plants, changes to its communications systems and weapons elevators, and a bulbous bow designed to reduce water resistance, according to the Government Accountability Office.
Although the Lincoln is nearly 20 years older, it completed a Refueling and Complex Overhaul (RCOH) in 2017, a major refurbishment lasting more than four years. The work included refueling its nuclear reactors, upgrading aircraft-launch systems, replacing thousands of components and repainting the hull.
The Lincoln returned home after a 321-day deployment, while the Bush, which left Norfolk on March 31, could remain deployed for as long as a year, according to the reported warning to families.
If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts, call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline for free, confidential support. U.S. service members and veterans can call 988 and press 1, or text 838255, to reach the Veterans/Military Crisis Line. Military OneSource also offers support to service members and their families at 800-342-9647.
Newsweek’s reporters and editors used Martyn, our AI assistant, to produce this story. Learn more about Martyn here.
Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Tobias Meyjes and Rhian Morgan.
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