USS George H.W. Bush families told to prepare for year-long deployment

Families of sailors aboard the USS George H.W. Bush are preparing to spend the holidays without their loved ones after Navy leaders told them the carrier would not return home in time, extending a deployment that was initially expected to last six to seven months. At a Nov. 9 town hall, families were told to prepare for a worst-case scenario of 12 months. If confirmed, it would mean another extension for a crew that has already seen its expected return date pushed back twice, according to families who attended the meeting. The uncertainty surrounding the deployment’s length was evident even before the carrier left port. On March 31, Rear Adm. Alexis Walker, commander of Carrier Strike Group 10, acknowledged that the published deployment schedule did not guarantee when the sailors would return.

This excerpt comes from the named source. Read the original for the full reporting.