Cooper met senior civilian and military leaders in Bahrain, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. The trip also included meetings with deployed U.S. personnel and a command transition for Combined Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve.
In Jordan, Cooper presided over the Aug. 11 transfer of command from Maj. Gen. Kevin Lambert to Rear Adm. Liam Hulin. The ceremony took place at the task force’s headquarters.
Cooper also visited sailors and Marines aboard USS Abraham Lincoln for the second time this year. He previously visited the carrier in February with U.S. Special Envoy for Peace Missions Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.
“The Lincoln Carrier Strike Group is a strong team of high-achieving Americans standing tall with immense, justified pride in everything they accomplished,” Cooper said. “History will record this deployment as one of the most operationally intense and consequential of the modern era.”
The San Diego-based Abraham Lincoln deployed in November and arrived in the Middle East in January. CENTCOM said the strike group has conducted thousands of combat flights supporting Operation Epic Fury, regional security missions and the ongoing U.S. naval blockade against Iran.
During the latest carrier visit, Cooper addressed the crew, met junior service members and presented awards to selected personnel. His broader tour highlighted CENTCOM’s continued engagement with regional partners while U.S. forces remain deployed across the Middle East.
