USS Abraham Lincoln deployment raises concerns over crew strain

Families, veterans and military health experts are raising alarms about the strain on sailors aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln as the San Diego-based aircraft carrier nears nine months at sea, far longer than a typical six-month deployment and much of it under combat conditions in the Middle East.

The carrier left port Nov. 21, originally bound for the Pacific, but was redirected to the Middle East as the U.S.-Israel war with Iran began, The Guardian reported. It has now spent more than 250 consecutive days at sea without a significant port visit. U.S. officials told CBS News that combat aircraft have launched from the carrier more than 10,000 times in the past eight months, while the roughly 5,000 sailors and Marines aboard have had to defend against Iranian missiles and drones.

“They should not be deployed this long,” said Jefferson Kelley, whose son Jackson is aboard the Lincoln on his first deployment. “These are old ships. It’s not like they’re even state-of-the-art. And they take a lot of maintenance, a lot of work. It’s around the clock.”

Reports by Navy Times and Stars and Stripes described shortages of supplies and water, plumbing problems, low morale and deteriorating mental health among the crew, The Guardian reported. Those reports also said there had been multiple attempts by sailors to jump overboard. CBS News reported that Sen. Richard Blumenthal sent a letter to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth citing “widespread reports of shortages of basic supplies, water contamination, plumbing issues… and deteriorating mental health.”

The Navy and U.S. Central Command have pushed back on the accounts. CENTCOM said reports of increased suicidal ideation among the crew are false and said there have been no deaths aboard the vessel. The Navy said it “has not identified an increase in reported suicidal ideation or suicide attempts aboard the ship,” and said crew members have access to counselors, chaplains and medical professionals.

The Navy also said sailors have access to clean water, air conditioning and healthy meal options, even as “traditional supply hubs in the Middle East were disrupted by combat actions.” Hegseth told reporters that reports of poor conditions aboard the Lincoln are “completely misrepresented.”

“We make sure that every ship, every crew, every captain has everything we can provide them at every single moment,” Hegseth said. “Some deployments are longer than others, and I have more respect and gratitude for those sailors than anybody.”

CENTCOM said the ship has one of the highest crew reenlistment rates among U.S. Navy carriers and said the sailors and Marines aboard “remain resilient and resolved after more than 260 days at sea.” The Navy said the circumstances of an Aug. 3 incident in which a sailor fell overboard and was recovered remain under investigation.

Still, relatives say they are not reassured. Kelley said he fears he cannot trust what officials are saying. Families relayed concerns directly to acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao in a contentious meeting last week, CBS News reported, and Kelley said he wrote to officials begging them to find a way to send his son home, even offering to volunteer in his place.

“What’s going through my mind as a parent is that need to want to be there, to want to be there for your child,” Kelley said. “I would get on a plane or helicopter tonight to get shipped out to the Lincoln if it meant bringing him home to his mom and his siblings and his family.”

Military experts said extended deployments without shore leave can weigh on crews. Robert Murrett, a retired Navy vice admiral, said a typical carrier deployment is closer to six months and normally includes port visits. The Lincoln “has had none of that since they left San Diego last November,” he told The Guardian. “That’s very, very tough on a crew.”

Relief may be approaching. A U.S. official told CBS News the USS George Washington left Vietnam last week and is headed to the Middle East to replace the Lincoln, though carrier rotations usually overlap, meaning the Lincoln may still be weeks from returning to San Diego.