The Navy just told sailors and their families to start expecting LONGER deployments. And here's the crazy part: The next aircraft carrier hasn't even left yet — and its families are already being told to plan for EIGHT MONTHS. Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Daryl Caudle says he still wants Navy deployments around seven months. But he also admitted that until the Navy grows the fleet it needs, longer deployments are probably going to be part of the reality. And look at what's already happening. USS Abraham Lincoln deployed back in November. That carrier spent more than 250 CONSECUTIVE DAYS at sea without a port call. If current reporting about its return is accurate, Lincoln's total deployment could approach 10 months. Then there's USS Gerald R. Ford. That carrier recently returned after 326 days deployed. That's almost ELEVEN MONTHS. And now USS Theodore Roosevelt is getting ready to head toward the Middle East. It hasn't even left yet. But Navy leadership says Roosevelt families are already being told to plan for about eight months away. So forget the Pentagon terminology for a second. Think about being the family. You've got a date on the calendar. You plan birthdays around it. Your kids know when Mom or Dad is supposed to come home. Maybe you've got a baby coming. Maybe there's a wedding. Maybe you've planned leave or a family vacation. Then somebody tells you: Actually, we're extending the deployment. Then maybe they extend it again. Caudle actually acknowledged that this uncertainty is one of the biggest problems. He said extending deployments in little chunks makes it incredibly difficult for families because they never really know when the deployment is going to end. And he says the underlying problem is simple: The Navy needs more ships. There are only so many aircraft carriers available. Ships need maintenance. Crews need training. And combatant commanders keep asking for carriers overseas. Since late 2023, Navy carrier deployments have averaged around 8.5 months. The stated goal is seven. Those numbers aren't matching. Now obviously, sailors know deployment is part of the deal. The mission doesn't disappear because somebody wants to come home. But there's another side to readiness: Keeping experienced sailors in the Navy. Because if eight-, nine- and ten-month deployments start becoming normal, eventually sailors and their families are going to make decisions too. So Navy people: What's reasonable? Seven months? Eight? Ten? At what point does extending the mission start costing the Navy the sailors it needs for the NEXT deployment? #navy #military #deployment #family #miltok - @themastersausage