The USS Theodore Roosevelt passes through the Atlantic Ocean in September 2014 toward a deployment in Europe. The Roosevelt recently left its homeport in San Diego, California, for a similar deployment in the Middle East. (US Navy/Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Stephane Belcher)

West Coast Supercarrier Deployed on Sunday, Bound for Middle East

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Navy officials indicated they had stocked the USS Theodore Roosevelt with extra provisions, in an effort to head off the shortages and morale issues that affected the USS Abraham Lincoln.

The nickname of the United States Navy’s fourth Nimitz-class nuclear-powered supercarrier, the USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71), is “The Big Stick,” a not-so-subtle reference to the 26th president’s foreign policy adage to “speak softly and carry a big stick.” It isn’t clear if many in Tehran understood the reference, or even know of TR’s policy from more than a century ago; nevertheless, CVN-71 is now heading to the Middle East, having departed from Naval Base San Diego, California, on Sunday afternoon with little fanfare.

As a matter of policy, the United States Navy doesn’t generally announce the deployment of warships in the same way it marks their return. However,........

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