The USS Abraham Lincoln departed California in November for a deployment originally scheduled to end in May but repeatedly extended, with the carrier now supporting operations in the Middle East including a reported blockade in the Strait of Hormuz. Approximately 5,000 personnel are aboard, and Democratic lawmakers have called for an investigation into conditions following a letter from Senator Richard Blumenthal. The USS George Washington has transited Southeast Asian waters, while Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth described reports of hardships as misrepresented.