Trump Says Record-Setting Carrier Deployment "Not Nearly Long Enough"
Following claims of poor conditions aboard the long-deployed carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, the Navy asserts that it does not have a rash of mental health issues aboard the ship, which is deployed in the Arabian Sea in support of the war with Iran. Top leaders have asserted that the ship is still well-resourced to support the crew after spending more than 200 continuous days at sea. President Donald Trump weighed in on Friday, telling reporters that Lincoln's deployment was not too long, and in fact was "not nearly long enough." Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth added that "every ship, every crew, every captain has everything we can provide them at every single moment."
But details of events on board continue to leak out, including a new claim of a near-successful suicide attempt - and an unspecified number of other attempts that were narrowly averted.
The wife of one Lincoln crewmember told MS Now that her husband had jumped overboard on August 3, and had been safely rescued after an hour in the waters of the Arabian Sea. The sailor is now scheduled for transfer to San Diego and the Balboa Hospital facility, where he will be checked in, the survivors' squadron master chief informed the wife in an email seen by MS Now's reporters.
Three U.S. officials confirmed the report to CNN, and one added that the individual had donned a life vest for the jump and was uninjured.
Separate reports indicate that an additional individual had attempted to jump off Lincoln's deck, but had been restrained. Hundreds of family members of Lincoln sailors have complained that the conditions on board are subpar, with food rationing and fatigue leading to low morale and heightened risk.
The political opposition has called for more scrutiny of conditions on board. Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) also questioned whether the White House may be wearing down Navy readiness by deploying carriers for wars of choice. "These reports warrant immediate attention, but they also raise a broader question: whether the Navy can sustain the operational tempo now being demanded of its carrier force," Blumenthal said in a statement Thursday.
In a statement to media Thursday, the Navy asserted that it has "not observed an increase in suicidal ideations or attempts aboard the ship."
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The Navy's carrier commands have had issues with suicide in the past, notably the infamous run of deaths affecting USS George Washington. During a protracted yard period in 2017-22, the carrier lost 11 crewmembers to suicide, including three in a week in April 2022. Harsh onboard living conditions were a factor underlying low morale aboard George Washington, a Navy investigation determined.
In addition to effects on morale and retention, long deployments materially impact maintenance schedules and scope of work for repair periods. Deferred maintenance has a cascading effect on time in drydock because excess wear leads to more broken equipment and unplanned work items. Unplanned work drives delays, as labor and parts orders have not been prearranged; if the part has to be made to order, as is often the case, the work has to wait for the part, driving up time in drydock. Excessive repair delay for one carrier can then force another carrier to extend its deployment, restarting the cycle of delay and cost growth.
