US Aircraft Carrier on Over 200-Day Deployment... Sailor Jumps Overboard Citing "Stress"

Growing Concerns Over Crew Members' Mental Health
Secretary Hegseth Refutes, Calling Reports a "Complete Distortion of the Facts"

Reports indicate that the crew members of the USS Abraham Lincoln, a US aircraft carrier that has been operating off the coast of Iran for nine months, have reached their mental limits.

According to CNN on August 13 (local time), last month, a sailor aboard the Abraham Lincoln jumped into the sea. The exact motive remains unknown, but the sailor was wearing a life jacket at the time and was rescued safely. The US Navy, in a statement to CNN, dismissed concerns, saying, "We have not observed an increase in suicidal thoughts or attempts on board the ship." However, the outlet suggested that the crew's mental stress appears to be extreme.

Aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln of the U.S. Navy. Photo by Reuters and Yonhap News Agency

This is not the only concern about the crew's mental health. The US military newspaper Stars and Stripes pointed out, "The sailors are suffering from fatigue and low morale. There is at least one known case where a crew member was prevented from jumping into the sea." The military journal Navy Times also shared an interview with the wife of a sailor stationed on the Abraham Lincoln.

The Abraham Lincoln left the naval base in San Diego on November 21 of last year with 5,000 crew members aboard. The ship then spent 208 consecutive days at sea through early July this year, reportedly marking the longest deployment in US Navy operational history.

As the deployment continued, resupplying the carrier became increasingly difficult and crew members began experiencing hardship in their daily lives. Iran's blockade of the Strait of Hormuz has delayed the timely arrival of supplies from the US 5th Fleet base in Bahrain. At a town hall held in June in San Diego for the Navy and families of the Abraham Lincoln crew, grievances were raised about burnout symptoms among the crew, shortages of supplies and food, water contamination, and poor sanitation facilities.

At the time, Vice Admiral Douglas Verissimo told the families of the crew, "Because of Iran, our logistical situation is under severe constraints, with supply lines that are extremely long and complicated," adding, "Everyone is working together under extraordinarily tough circumstances."

However, regarding reports about the mental health of the crew, US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth countered, calling them a "complete distortion of the facts." Secretary Hegseth stated, "We continue to ensure that every ship, every sailor, and every captain has access to everything we can provide at all times."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.