The commander of CENTCOM, Admiral Brad Cooper, has declared the USS Abraham Lincoln is recording the lowest mental health case rates among the US Navy's 11 active aircraft carriers, following a visit to the vessel during a 10-day tour of the Middle East.
The Lincoln has been at sea for more than 260 days without a port call, supporting the US war against Iran including a blockade of Iranian ports since arriving in January. The deployment, originally set to end in May, has been repeatedly extended, with the USS George Washington now heading to replace it. However, concerns persist: family members have raised alarms over deteriorating morale, and conditions aboard have reportedly included broken plumbing and fresh food shortages. Thirteen Senate Democrats sent a letter to Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth criticising the record-length deployment, while President Donald Trump dismissed the concerns, telling reporters the deployment was "not nearly long enough".