George Washington Deploys to Middle East, High Morale Reported

The USS George Washington arrived in the Arabian Sea under CENTCOM to support a Middle East mission near the Strait of Hormuz, replacing the USS Abraham Lincoln. With about 5,000 sailors and roughly nine squadrons, the carrier group is ready for sustained operations and day–night flight ops, operating F/A-18s, F-35Cs, EA-18Gs, E-2Ds and MH-60 helicopters. The crew is replenished at sea and fed by 150 cooks who prepare up to 15,000 meals daily. Leadership, including Captain Nicholas DeLeo and Rear Adm. Jeff Heames, says morale is high and the mission underscores readiness and deterrence in a tense region.