The Navy said it is preparing sailors and their families for extended aircraft carrier deployments to the Middle East as the U.S. military maintains a sustained presence near Iran. The USS Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Strike Group is expected to deploy from San Diego in the coming weeks and eventually head to U.S. Central Command, where it will relieve the USS George Washington, which entered the U.S. 5th Fleet area last week. Families of Roosevelt sailors are already being told to plan for a deployment of roughly eight months.
“They know they’re going to be there longer than seven months,” Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy John Perryman told reporters Wednesday. “Their [commanding officer] is giving them eight months to plan on.” The Navy has maintained a carrier presence in the Arabian Sea since Operation Epic Fury began against Iran on Feb. 28, using carrier-based aircraft for strikes and to support enforcement of the subsequent naval blockade. Naval Operations Chief Daryl Caudle said the service is trying to give sailors and families greater certainty about deployments as the Iran conflict strains the fleet.
