USS Theodore Roosevelt to be deployed to Middle East

The aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt and its company of 5,000 will embark in the coming weeks on what is expected to be at least a seven-month deployment to the Middle East, CNN reported, citing top Navy officials.

The move will come as the Navy deals with the fallout from the recent deployment of the USS Abraham Lincoln to the region that saw it spend more than 250 days at sea without a port call.

That lengthy deployment raised concerns about the mental health of sailors, as well as reports of low supplies aboard the 100,000-ton warship.

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

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