USS Theodore Roosevelt to deploy to Middle East for at least seven months

The aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt and its approximately 5,000 sailors are expected to deploy to the Middle East in the coming weeks for what Navy officials say will be at least a seven-month mission, as the U.S. fleet continues to adjust to the demands of the conflict with Iran.

John Perryman, the Navy’s master chief petty officer and its senior enlisted sailor, said Wednesday that the crew was preparing for an even longer deployment.

“They know they’re going to be there longer than seven months. Their [commanding officer] is giving them eight months to plan on,” Perryman said, according to USNI News. 

The Roosevelt’s deployment comes as the Navy grapples with the consequences of the USS Abraham Lincoln’s recent mission in the region, during which the 100,000-ton carrier spent more than 250 days at sea without making a port call.

The unusually long deployment raised concerns about sailors’ mental health. Reports included at least one sailor going overboard, while other accounts cited shortages of supplies aboard the carrier.

The Lincoln was relieved by the USS George Washington last week and is expected to make a port call in Thailand in the coming days, according to several reports.

The Roosevelt is expected to replace the George Washington in the Middle East, USNI News reported. The USS George H.W. Bush is also operating in the region.

Perryman and Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Daryl Caudle spoke to reporters Wednesday at Naval Support Activity Hampton Roads in Virginia.

Caudle acknowledged the strain the war with Iran has placed on the U.S. Navy and said the service would seek to provide sailors with greater certainty over deployment durations. He cautioned, however, that operational requirements during a conflict can make fixed timelines difficult to maintain.

“I would prefer, you know, seven-month deployments. I typically am not a big fan of extensions, and I push back hard on that. But the enemy gets a vote,” Caudle said.

By Tamilla Hasanova