5,000 Sailors Adjust to Iran War Aboard Carrier

Young sailors aboard the USS George Washington are adapting to combat duties and an open-ended deployment near the Strait of Hormuz, a mission that surprised the crew after the carrier left Japan in late August to relieve another ship. The deployment unfolded amid escalating U.S.-Iran tensions, including the U.S. destruction of five Iranian oil tankers after an Iranian attack on a U.S. Navy vessel. Around 5,000 people serve aboard the carrier, coordinating everything from flight-deck operations to routine support work; crew members describe the teamwork as tightly synchronized, but the flight deck as unforgivingly dangerous. For younger sailors, daily life combines combat watches and demanding work with efforts to stay connected to loved ones.