Navy applies deployment lessons as Roosevelt prepares for Mideast

The Navy says it is using lessons gleaned from recent grueling deployments as it prepares another aircraft carrier for the Middle East amid escalating U.S.-Iran hostilities.

That effort includes improving logistics by increasing storage aboard the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt for food, hygiene products and other supplies, Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Daryl Caudle and Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy John Perryman said in a video posted Tuesday on X.

Officials also are paying careful attention to quality-of-life issues for sailors and Marines aboard Roosevelt and working to improve communication with their families, Caudle said.

“As one carrier returns home, we listen to its sailors and families,” Perryman said. “We capture what works and what didn’t, and we make it better the next time.”

Roosevelt is expected to depart San Diego in the coming weeks to relieve the aircraft carrier USS George Washington in the Arabian Sea during a deployment expected to last more than seven months, USNI News reported in August.

The preparations follow the lengthy deployments of USS Gerald R. Ford and USS Abraham Lincoln. They also come amid heightened scrutiny of the Navy’s ability to sustain some 19 warships in the Arabian Sea as they enforce a U.S. naval blockade of Iranian ports and facilitate the transit of oil tankers and other commercial ships through the Strait of Hormuz.

Sailors heave a line during sea and anchor detail aboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt on September 2, 2026. Last week, the USS Abraham Lincoln made its first regular port call during its deployment, stopping in Thailand for five days, nearly 10 months after departing from San Diego. (Alexander Bussman/U.S. Navy)

The aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush and the amphibious assault ship USS Boxer are among the vessels operating in the region.

On Tuesday, U.S. forces destroyed five tankers carrying Iranian crude oil in response to two attempts by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to strike a U.S. Navy warship with ballistic missiles over two days. The unidentified ship wasn’t hit and there were no injuries, U.S. Central Command said in a post on its official X account.

Last month, Stars and Stripes reported that Lincoln sailors and their families had raised concerns about mental health and the risk of self-harm aboard the carrier.

Sailors aboard the Lincoln also told the newspaper that at least one fellow service member had been stopped from jumping off the ship a few months ago. The Navy did not respond to questions about that incident.

Sailors and their family members also described food and water shortages, mail disruptions and other quality-of-life issues.

Soon after, the Japan-based Washington was sent to relieve the Lincoln, which subsequently made a five-day port call in Thailand that ended Sunday. It was the Lincoln’s first regular port call since leaving San Diego nearly 10 months ago.

As of Wednesday, the carrier had been deployed for 293 days, most of them in a combat zone. It is expected to return to San Diego within the next month.

The Ford completed a 326-day deployment in May, setting a record for the longest post-Vietnam War carrier deployment. During that time, Ford operated in multiple regions, including the Caribbean, eastern Mediterranean and Red seas.

It also experienced a serious laundry room fire that injured three sailors, displaced hundreds more and required a stop at Naval Support Activity Souda Bay on the Greek island of Crete for repairs.

The changes, such as increasing storage capacity, will help Roosevelt remain self-sufficient for longer periods, especially when resupply may be difficult, Perryman said.

“Small things matter during a long deployment, because taking care of our sailors is part of maintaining combat readiness,” he added.

An E/A-18G Growler takes off from the flight deck of the USS Theodore Roosevelt in the Pacific Ocean on November 14, 2025. The carrier is expected to depart from San Diego in the coming weeks to relieve the USS George Washington currently operating in the Arabian Sea. (Aaron Haro Gonzalez/U.S. Navy)

Sailors are on crash and salvage watch during flight operations aboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt on September 7, 2026. Navy leaders are prioritizing quality of life on the carrier after a Stars and Stripes report highlighted mental health concerns among sailors and their families aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln, along with food and water shortages and disruptions in mail delivery. (Alexander Bussman/U.S. Navy)

Sailors carry out flight operations on the flight deck of the USS Theodore Roosevelt on September 7, 2026. The Roosevelt is preparing to join approximately 19 U.S. warships in the Arabian Sea to enforce a blockade of Iranian ports as tensions between the two countries escalate. (Alexander Bussman/U.S. Navy)

New entertainment equipment on mess decks, more durable fitness equipment and spare cardio machines ready for replacement will improve sailors’ quality of life, Caudle said, adding that holiday supplies were being purchased in advance.

Additional efforts include software updates and instructions designed to keep critical services running even in less than optimal circumstances, such as when a ship is operating in a degraded condition, Caudle said.

A specialized team was sent to inspect and optimize Roosevelt’s climate control systems to ensure the crew and equipment can operate effectively, he said.

Officials also are working with the ship’s ombudsman and family readiness groups to provide families with reliable and consistent communication throughout the deployment, he said.

“That’s what a learning Navy looks like,” Caudle said.