Crew Of Aircraft Carrier In Persian Gulf Reaches Breaking Point, Multiple Attempted Overboards Reported

The following article includes discussion of suicidal ideation.

At sea now for a record-setting 250 days and counting, including 40 days of combat operations in the Iran war, the crew of the USS Abraham Lincoln has reached a breaking point that includes multiple suicide attempts. The Navy Times quotes a woman whose husband tried to jump overboard, concerned that his declining performance had ruined his career. Separately, another sailor reportedly tried to jump off the ship, but was caught and pulled back by other sailors in the vicinity. Stars and Stripes quotes a mother as saying her son and his shipmates "constantly think about jumping off the ship just for relief." 

Lincoln left port in San Diego in November, originally slated for a routine deployment to the Pacific. The 5,000-man aircraft carrier was then deployed to the Persian Gulf to take part in the war. That means the crew has been on the water for the better part of a year. Keep in mind, during active duty, sailors and Marines don't get weekends or other days off. They have been working long hours in a warzone without a break for nine months. For reference, a carrier will usually stop for shore leave every month or so. Lincoln has been at port a grand total of two days since November.

In case it's not clear, none of this is normal. According to Stars and Stripes, the old record was 206 days at sea, set by the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower in 2020. Lincoln has extended that by a further two months, in a war. Congressman Mike Levin (D-CA) recently described what that means:

Moldy showers, broken toilets, laundry down for weeks, long stretches with no hot water, a meal that came down to half a cup of rice and two tortillas. No soap, deodorant, or toothpaste... These men and women signed up to serve their country. The least their country owes them is hot water, a working toilet, and a real meal. Hegseth cannot even manage that, and he has the nerve to look their families in the eye and call them liars.

The crew's families are furious, unloading their frustration at a town hall that included acting Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao. (John Phelan left that post suddenly in April 2026, just after the war started, and President Trump has not nominated a formal replacement). The officials present reminded families that the crew did have access to onboard counselors and chaplains. While this is true, let's not forget that the counselors and chaplains are in the same situation. The officials also claimed that there had not been a reported increase in suicidal ideation, per the Guardian. That seems difficult to believe.

The officials did have one piece of good news, really the only one that matters: Lincoln will be relieved soon. Why this was not done earlier is an open question. Unfortunately, they would not say when the replacement will happen.

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