Mental health concerns mount aboard USS Abraham Lincoln after more than 240 days at sea
Concerns over the well-being of personnel aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln have intensified as the US aircraft carrier approaches the end of an unusually prolonged deployment in the West Asia region, with US officials facing growing scrutiny over conditions aboard the vessel.
The carrier has spent more than 240 consecutive days at sea, including more than 200 days without a port call. Its deployment, which was initially expected to end in May, has been extended repeatedly.
US Central Command chief Adm. Brad Cooper visited the Lincoln on Saturday and said the well-being of its approximately 5,000 personnel had become a priority for those responsible for the vessel.
Senators demand investigation into 'alarming' conditions aboard USS Abraham Lincolnhttps://t.co/ckgjq06RBJ
— Press TV 🔻 (@PressTV) August 13, 2026
He acknowledged the difficulties associated with prolonged deployments, describing active duty under such circumstances as "uniquely challenging and tough."
"I've long believed that mental health is another aspect of individual health and requires our attention just like physical health and spiritual health,” he stated.
The Lincoln arrived in West Asia in January and has since supported US aggression against Iran, including Washington’s illegal blockade of Iranian ports and vessels.
Reports published last week by Military Times and Stars & Stripes described problems aboard the carrier, including broken plumbing, sanitation difficulties, shortages of fresh food, and limited opportunities for sailors to go ashore.
Family members of personnel deployed aboard the Lincoln have also expressed concerns about the mental health of sailors. Reports have indicated that some personnel attempted to jump overboard.
Reports of suicide attempts deepen concerns over USS Abraham Lincoln’s prolonged deploymenthttps://t.co/sfHDXlZxOw
— Press TV 🔻 (@PressTV) August 13, 2026
The conditions aboard the carrier have also become a subject of scrutiny in Washington.
Thirteen Democratic members of the Senate Armed Services Committee sent a letter on Saturday to Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, seeking answers about the length of the deployment and the conditions facing the ship's personnel.
Hegseth had rejected accounts of the carrier's conditions the previous week, describing them as "completely misrepresented.”
US President Donald Trump also dismissed concerns that the sailors had spent too long at sea. Asked about the length of their deployment on Friday, Trump said, "Not nearly long enough."
Maryland Governor Wes Moore, a Democrat and US Army veteran, offered a contrasting assessment during an appearance on CNN on Sunday. He described the conditions aboard the carrier as "heartbreaking" and said Trump should have "more compassion."
'Delusional, incompetent’: Hegseth rebuked for trivializing US soldiers’ ordeal aboard USS Lincon
USS Lincoln fiasco shows Trump administration's 'true lack of leadership': Senator
Anduril’s windfall from US war against Iran and Trump family’s investment ties with the arms firm
Iran regards missing pilots captured until their fate is clarified: FM spox
Ben-Gvir’s nightly killing quota shows explicit intent to eradicate Palestinians: Rights group
Mental health concerns mount aboard USS Abraham Lincoln after over 240 days at sea
VIDEO | South Koreans hold rally against joint military drills with US
Israeli forces attack Lebanon's Nabatieh, South governorates
Iran voices outrage after Israeli minister promotes ‘nightly assassination quota’ for Gaza
Saudi Arabia conceals its oil shipments to avoid attacks from Yemen: Report
Israeli minister urges nightly killings of ‘30 to 40′ Palestinians in Gaza
PressTV NEWSLETTER
now
This makes it easy to access the Press TV website
