🇺🇸🇮🇷⚡️ — U.S. Navy officials have told families of the USS George H.W. Bush Carrier Strike Group that its deployment in the Middle East has been extended for a second time, meaning approximately 7,000 service members will not return home for the holidays and could remain deployed for up to a year, according to audio of a November 9 town hall reviewed by MS NOW. During the heated meeting at Naval Station Norfolk, Navy leaders acknowledged that Iranian drones continue to target American warships enforcing the blockade of Iran. The strike group departed Virginia on March 31 for what was originally expected to be a six- to seven-month deployment. Adm. Karl Thomas said Iranian forces had learned to “pepper” U.S. vessels with large numbers of one-way attack drones, making defensive operations increasingly difficult. Families confronted senior Navy officials over deteriorating living conditions, unreliable equipment, poor food supplies, prolonged separations and inadequate mental health support. Several spouses described sailors experiencing suicidal thoughts or being denied access to treatment. One family member warned that “families are burning out under the immense strain.”