🇺🇸🇮🇷️ - US Navy officials told the families of the USS George H.W. Bush Carrier Strike Group that its deployment to the Middle East has been extended for a second time, meaning about 7,000 service members will not return home for the holidays and could remain deployed for up to a year, according to audio of a Nov. 9 town hall reviewed by MS NOW.
During the heated meeting at Naval Station Norfolk, Navy leaders acknowledged that Iranian drones continue to target U.S. warships enforcing the blockade of Iran.
The strike group left Virginia on March 31 for what was originally expected to be a six- to seven-month deployment.
Adm. Carl Thomas said Iranian forces have learned to "pepper" American vessels with large numbers of one-way attack drones, making defensive operations increasingly difficult. Families clashed with senior Navy officials over poor living conditions, unreliable equipment, poor food supplies, prolonged separations, and poor mental health support.
Several spouses described sailors experiencing suicidal thoughts or being denied access to treatment. One of the family members warned that "families are burning under the enormous pressure."