General McKenzie’s request, military officials said, calls for 24-hour support from a carrier, with its accompanying fighter squadrons, and is seen as a specific reference to the Eisenhower, who left his home in Virginia in February. and was on its way to the Mediterranean. Sea. There it took part in exercises with Italian and Moroccan naval forces. The Eisenhower is now in the Arabian Sea.
Col. Dave Butler, a spokesman for General Milley, declined to comment on the carrier’s request. Capt. Bill Urban, a spokesman for Central Command, also declined to comment. Pentagon press secretary John F. Kirby said on Wednesday that Austin ‘made it clear that we would carry out the withdrawal in Afghanistan in a safe, orderly and purposeful manner and that we would do everything possible to protect our troops. the process. “
He also declined to discuss the request, saying that “for operational security reasons, we will also not be able to make a preview of specific military protection measures being planned.”
Current and former senior naval officials have said immediate military missions may require the deployment of warships to be extended. But when this happens repeatedly, the health and readiness of the navy can erode in the long run, jeopardizing the navy’s ability to meet future missions.
“We have these national assets like aircraft carriers available in times of crisis, especially when it is necessary to protect the lives of the troops on the ground,” said Vice-Adm. Kevin Donegan, a retired fifth naval commander, said in an interview. . “But you don’t want it to be a routine thing, and that’s what happened in the past.”
On board the Eisenhower, some sailors were already worried about extending their deployment, especially if the aircraft were to eventually deliver air operations during the entire U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, which Biden said should be completed by September 11th.
A Department of Defense official said this week that it remains an open question whether U.S. troops from Afghanistan should fight or the withdrawal will be peaceful. He spoke on condition of anonymity to speak publicly about the case.