Families of USS George HW Bush aircraft carrier in Middle East told their loved ones won’t be home for the holidays: report

Families of the USS George H.W. Bush Carrier Strike Group were told their loved ones won’t be coming home for Thanksgiving or Christmas as the conflict in the Middle East continues, according to a report. Relatives of the 7,000 service members who are part of the USS George H.W. Bush Carrier Strike Group were left incensed after they were told the Iranian attacks continue to “pepper” U.S. ships enforcing the blockade of Iran, meaning their loved ones will not be coming home for the holidays, according to audio of a November 9 meeting in Norfolk, Virginia, obtained by MS NOW. Roughly 500 family members of deployed service members attended the meeting, which marked the second time that the strike group’s deployment has been extended since departing Norfolk, Virginia, on March 31. However, this time, the families were warned to prepare for a worst-case scenario of a 12-month deployment. “I’m sorry, I’ve been there. I know what it feels like; I know how hard it is when your kids are asking, ‘When’s daddy coming home? When’s mommy coming home?’” Acting Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao said during the meeting, according to the report. Service members aboard the USS George H.W. Bush Carrier Strike Group won’t be home for the holidays, according to a report (US Central Command)Family members did not hide their disappointment in the news, which happened just two weeks before Thanksgiving. At times, some of the loved ones yelled at Navy leaders, accusing them of giving them the “runaround,” according to the report. The report detailed the explosive reactions of audience members, including one who called the war “unsanctioned.” Another person told Navy leaders: “Trust within the force and among our families is heavily strained right now between record-breaking stretches without relief, shifting timelines and the feeling that communication downplays the reality on the ground. Families are burning out under the immense strain.” Another frustrated relative reportedly asked what the Navy was doing to push back on President Donald Trump to keep the conflict from becoming a “forever war.” Trump has repeatedly insisted that the U.S. and Israel launching a war on Iran in February has prevented Iran from developing a nuclear weapon. The USS George H.W. Bush Carrier Strike Group embarked for the Middle East on March 31 to relieve the USS Gerald R. Ford, which had been deployed there since the war starteds earlier this year. The Ford was diverted from the Middle East earlier this year after a long deployment and reports of subpar living conditions. USS George H.W. Bush wasn’t able to make a port call until October 4, after 187 days at sea, according to the report (US Centcom)However, the Bush couldn’t make a port call until October 4, giving the crew a four-day break after 187 days at sea, according to the report. Navy leaders tried to explain why the extended deployment was necessary. “I know you’re wondering, ‘Why are we out there? Why are we doing this stuff?’ It’s just because we’ve been in this 47-year war with these Iranians, we just didn’t know about it,” Cao, the Acting Navy Secretary, added on Monday night. According to Cao, the Bush has “protected 3,000 ships so far from getting bombed.” “It’s one of those hard decisions the president has to do. He’s a businessman, he knows that war is bad for business, but the thing is that with all our intel, if we didn’t stop the Iranians now, in a year from now, they would have so many cruise missiles and so many drones that we would never be able to penetrate their defenses, and they would be a nuclear-armed Iran,” Cao said.