The Shadow of Indefinite Deployment: What's at Stake for US Naval Power in the Middle East The US aircraft carrier USS Washington is set to relieve the USS Lincoln in the Middle East, but this routine rotation of naval assets belies a deeper concern.
The prolonged conflict with Iran has stretched the US military's ability to project power in the region to its limits. Conditions on board the USS Lincoln are strained.
Reports from within the ship describe dwindling hygiene supplies, meager food rations, and inadequate plumbing.