Military families and members of Congress are raising concerns about a worsening mental health crisis aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln, as its 5,000 sailors and marines face an unprecedented deployment at sea linked to the conflict with Iran.
Two prominent military publications, the Navy Times and Stars and Stripes, report that there have been several incidents of sailors attempting to jump overboard as deteriorating conditions and mental strain on the Lincoln reach critical levels. The crew is currently in its ninth month at sea, having spent 250 consecutive days without docking – a record for a modern aircraft carrier.
Anxious families expressed their concerns about their loved ones aboard the Lincoln during an emotional town hall meeting with navy officials in San Diego last Thursday, according to Stars and Stripes. One spouse among the approximately 200 family members present shared that her husband had texted her that day, expressing, “he hopes he doesn’t wake up tomorrow.”
The families conveyed their fears directly to navy leadership, which included acting navy secretary Hung Cao and other senior officials at the town hall.
A woman at the meeting told Cao that the navy had “broken trust between us and the leadership,” as reported by the paper.
The Navy Times provided details about thwarted suicide attempts on the aircraft carrier during the current deployment. Annabelle Loma recounted that her husband had attempted to jump overboard after his time at sea was repeatedly extended.
“He’s scared. He thinks he’ll get a dishonorable discharge, and just because he was burnt out his 13-year career is ruined, just like that,” she stated.
The publication also quoted another sailor’s wife whose husband intervened in a separate incident on the Lincoln, preventing a fellow crew member from jumping by physically restraining them and bringing them back on deck.
Mike Levin, a Democratic Congressman from California, has raised concerns regarding the conditions aboard the warship, which is currently in its fifth month of combat operations against Iran. He characterized the crew’s situation on X as involving “moldy showers, broken toilets, laundry out of service for weeks, prolonged periods without hot water, and meals consisting of merely half a cup of rice and two tortillas. There is also a lack of soap, deodorant, and toothpaste.”
Jason Crow, a Democratic Congressman from Colorado and a former army ranger who served in Afghanistan and Iraq, has cautioned that the pressure on service members and their families aboard the Lincoln is “increasing week by week.”
The current situation has been developing for several months. The warship departed from San Diego on November 21 and was initially destined for the Pacific but was redirected to the Middle East following the outbreak of the US-Israel conflict with Iran.
Since then, MS Now has reported that the crew of over 5,000 has only had two days on land, in Guam in December and Oman in July. The deployment, which was supposed to conclude in May, has been extended multiple times due to the ongoing conflict.
In April, there was a surge of public outcry regarding the severe conditions on the carrier. Images surfaced showing substandard and rationed food, along with reports of water shortages, moldy showers, and malfunctioning laundry facilities.
Pete Hegseth, the defense secretary, dismissed these claims as “more fake news.”
Levin addressed Hegseth’s comments this week, stating: “These men and women enlisted to serve their country. The least they deserve is hot water, a functioning toilet, and a proper meal. Hegseth cannot even provide that, yet he has the audacity to look their families in the eye and label them as liars.”
The Guardian reached out to the US Navy for a response regarding reports of attempts to jump overboard. Following the publication of this article, a Navy official replied, acknowledging that “extended deployments impose significant stress on our service members and their families, and we appreciate their resilience and sacrifices.”