CENTCOM Chief Concludes 10-Day West Asia Tour As USS Abraham Lincoln Prepares to Return

Washington: As the United States continues its naval blockade on Iran, Commander of US Central Command (CENTCOM) Adm Brad Cooper completed a 10-day trip to West Asia on Saturday (local time), which included visits to six countries and a US Navy aircraft carrier operating in the Arabian Sea, according to a CENTCOM statement.

Adm Cooper concluded the trip on August 15 after meeting senior civilian and military leaders in Bahrain, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, in addition to meeting US service members deployed across the region. More than 50,000 US service members are currently operating across West Asia in support of various missions, CENTCOM said.

The visit came in the backdrop of tensions between the US and Iran, with both nations staking claims over control of the Strait of Hormuz.

According to CENTCOM, during his visits ashore, Cooper recognised exceptional performers, reenlisted troops, and presided over the leadership transition of the Combined Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve (CJTF-OIR).

Major General Kevin Lambert handed over command of CJTF-OIR to Rear Adm Liam Hulin on August 11 during a ceremony at the task force's headquarters in Jordan. During the maritime leg of his visit, Cooper met sailors and Marines aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) for the second time this year. He had earlier visited the aircraft carrier in February alongside US Special Envoy for Peace Missions Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.

Addressing the crew of the USS Abraham Lincoln, Cooper thanked them for their "tremendous dedication and courage" and met with junior service members before presenting awards to deserving personnel.

"The Lincoln Carrier Strike Group is a strong team of high-achieving Americans standing tall with immense, justified pride in everything they accomplished. History will record this deployment as one of the most operationally intense and consequential of the modern era," Admiral Cooper said.

This comes as the US aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln is set to return to the United States after an extended deployment of more than 250 days, Acting US Navy Secretary Hung Cao said, amid reports of low morale and mental health concerns among sailors aboard the carrier that have drawn scrutiny from the US Congress and families of the service members.

Cao, in a statement on Friday, said the carrier had "crushed their deployment" and would return home soon as part of a planned rotation, while stressing that the safety and security of sailors and Marines remain the Navy's priority.

"The USS Abraham Lincoln crushed their deployment and will return home soon as part of a planned rotation. Details will come, but let me be clear: the safety and security of our Sailors and Marines always comes first. Mission accomplishment. Troop Welfare. This is how we lead," Cao said in the statement.

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