USS Lincoln Crew Morale Collapses During Extended Middle East Deployment
Crhk · 1 SOURCESabout 1 hour ago2 MIN
Summary
The USS Abraham Lincoln, currently deployed to the Middle East supporting US military operations against Iran, has been continuously at sea for nearly nine months with its original return date repeatedly pushed back. The extended deployment has taken a severe toll on the mental and physical health of its 5,000 crew members, with multiple cases of sailors attempting suicide by jumping overboard reported to families .
Key Points
- The Abraham Lincoln left its homeport of San Diego, California, in late November last year, with an original mission end date scheduled for May
- Only two days of brief port calls for supplies have been permitted during the entire deployment period
- Crew family members describe multiple distress incidents including one sailor's husband who attempted to jump overboard and is now on medical hold
- Another sailor reportedly told family members they witnessed a shipmate's suicide attempt that was successfully prevented
- Over 200 family members met with Acting Navy Secretary officials and other military leadership to express anger and demand intervention
Why It Matters
The crisis aboard the Lincoln highlights the growing strain on US military readiness and personnel welfare amid ongoing Middle East tensions. The Navy has confirmed it is preparing to deploy the USS Theodore Roosevelt carrier strike group to the region to relieve the Lincoln, though officials declined to specify the timeline citing operational security .
The crisis aboard the Lincoln highlights the growing strain on US military readiness and personnel welfare amid ongoing Middle East tensions. The Navy has confirmed it is preparing to deploy the USS Theodore Roosevelt carrier strike group to the region to relieve the Lincoln, though officials declined to specify the timeline citing operational security .