Key facts
- President Donald Trump dismissed concerns about the conditions and mental health of service members on the USS Abraham Lincoln.
- Trump stated the ship was not deployed for too long and would be replaced shortly.
- Family members of crew members reported deteriorating conditions, lack of supplies, and mental health issues.
- The USS Abraham Lincoln had been at sea for 244 consecutive days without a port visit since December.
- US military leaders had expressed concerns about morale and fatigue among deployed service members.
President Donald Trump on Friday dismissed concerns regarding the living conditions and mental health of service members aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln, an aircraft carrier deployed against Iran. Responding to reporters' questions, Trump stated that family members were not worried about the situation and rejected the notion that the ship had been deployed for too long, asserting it had been deployed "not nearly enough."
Trump confirmed reports that the Abraham Lincoln was scheduled for rotation with a replacement vessel, noting it was moving or would be replaced "very shortly." This deployment comes amid a stalemate with Iran over the Strait of Hormuz and its nuclear program.
However, US media, including specialist military publications and NBC News, have quoted multiple relatives of crew members describing deteriorating living conditions, a lack of supplies, and significant mental health challenges, including reports of several suicide attempts and sailors attempting to jump overboard. One mother described her son's mood becoming "very dark" as his deployment dragged on.
US military leaders have also privately expressed concerns within the Pentagon and White House about low morale and widespread fatigue among American service members supporting the war with Iran. A typical carrier deployment is approximately six to seven months, with regular port stops to resupply. The USS Abraham Lincoln, which departed California in November 2025, had been at sea for 244 consecutive days without a port visit since December, having been rerouted to the Middle East before US-Israeli attacks on Iran began on February 28. Jonathan Schroden, chief research officer at the Center for Naval Analyses, noted that carrier strike groups are generally designed for six-month deployments primarily for sailor welfare.