The crew of the American aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, which has been serving continuously in the Middle East for more than eight months, is facing exhaustion and deteriorating mental health. The media report at least several episodes of suicide attempts among military personnel.
A warship with approximately 5,000 sailors on board left San Diego, California, in November last year, CNN writes. The ship did not enter port for more than 200 days, setting a record for the longest continuous stay at sea. As a rule, aircraft carriers call at port every 30-45 days to replenish supplies, carry out maintenance and rest the crew.
As Military Times notes, the deployment was originally expected to end in May, but was extended without announcing a return date. The USS George Washington carrier strike group is being sent to replace the Lincoln, but exactly when it will arrive in the region is still unknown. The warship has recently been taking part in the blockade of Iranian ports that President Donald Trump declared due to problems with shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.
Amid reports of worsening conditions on the ship, Sen. Richard Blumenthal sent a letter Wednesday to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and the acting Navy secretary. He expressed “serious concerns” about the long mission and demanded information about living conditions aboard the aircraft carrier.
According to the senator, there are reports from sailors and their families about shortages of basic necessities, water contamination, plumbing problems, and deteriorating mental health of crew members. In addition, there are disruptions in the postal service, due to which many packages sent to sailors by relatives are lost in transit for months.
Military families also describe moldy showers, faulty toilets, no hot water for weeks and poor food – in some cases they say meals were limited to half a cup of rice and two tortillas.
One of the suicide attempts occurred earlier this month. The sailor ended up overboard, after which he was found and picked up by the search and rescue helicopter of the air wing. The serviceman was treated at the USS Abraham Lincoln medical unit and then evacuated from the ship for further treatment. A CNN source reported that the sailor was wearing a life jacket when he fell overboard and was not injured.
During another incident, a seaman on watch noticed a fellow officer preparing to jump overboard and intervened in time.
The US Navy says the USS Abraham Lincoln operates in a highly stressful operational environment, with traditional routes and supply centers in the Middle East disrupted by combat operations. According to representatives of the department, most of the problems have already been resolved, and the situation with mail delivery continues to improve.
“The crew has constant access to clean water, properly functioning air conditioning systems and two protein options at every meal. Logistics are improving,” the Navy said.
The department also emphasized that there is a psychological support system on board, which includes chaplains, doctors and other specialists.
A brief port call in Oman in early July allowed the carrier to replenish supplies, including fresh fruits and vegetables, which one sailor said had not been on board for months. Many crew members were allowed to disembark but were required to remain within the secure port area.
