US Deploys Third Carrier Group to Middle East, Raising Troop Presence Above 20,000
The United States sent a third aircraft carrier group to the Middle East, including the USS Theodore Roosevelt, the USS Chosin cruiser and the USS Makin Island amphibious assault ship, carrying more than 7,000 sailors and 2,000 Marines. This deployment brings the total number of U.S. troops in the region to over 20,000, with hundreds of aircraft operating from the carrier groups. The move marks the presence of three carrier groups in the area since April, a level not seen since 2003.1
The existing forces already include the USS George H.W. Bush and USS George Washington carriers together with the USS Boxer amphibious assault ship, while the USS Abraham Lincoln was replaced by the USS Washington after a deployment that kept its crew at sea for more than 260 days.1