Top US commander praises USS Lincoln crew amid concerns over long deployment

AP , Monday 17 Aug 2026

The top U.S. military commander in the Middle East praised the crew of the long-deployed USS Abraham Lincoln during a visit to the aircraft carrier, as concerns grow over the mental health and living conditions of sailors who have spent more than 240 consecutive days at sea.

File photo: The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) and the Wasp-class Amphibious Assault Ship USS Kearsarge (LHD 3) conduct joint operations in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations in the Arabian Sea. AFP

Adm. Brad Cooper, commander of U.S. Central Command, visited the Lincoln during a 10-day regional tour that ended Saturday, according to Central Command. The carrier has been supporting the U.S. war against Iran, including the blockade of Iranian ports, since arriving in the Middle East in January.

The visit came after reports of mental health struggles and deteriorating conditions aboard the carrier, including concerns over supplies and other basic needs. Lawmakers and sailors’ families have raised alarms over the prolonged deployment, while the Navy has disputed claims of a broader mental health crisis aboard the ship.

“History will record this deployment as one of the most operationally intense and consequential of the modern era,” Cooper said of the Lincoln strike group in a statement released Saturday.

Cooper also praised the carrier’s leadership for making mental health and resilience a priority. He said the Lincoln had among the lowest number of mental health-related cases among the Navy’s 11 active aircraft carriers.

The Lincoln’s extended deployment has drawn particular scrutiny because the carrier has spent a record-setting period continuously at sea. The ship is home to about 5,000 sailors and Marines and was originally expected to return earlier this year. A replacement carrier, the USS George Washington, is being sent to the region.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has dismissed reports about poor conditions aboard the Lincoln as “completely misrepresented,” while President Donald Trump has also downplayed concerns over the length of the deployment.

Cooper also visited Bahrain, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, where he met with civilian and military leaders, according to Central Command.

The U.S. Navy’s blockade of Iranian ports is part of Washington’s broader war against Iran, which began Feb. 28 with U.S. and Israeli strikes. Before the war, about one-fifth of the world’s traded oil and natural gas passed through the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran has sought to control.

Talks between the United States and Iran have stalled, while Iran has held discussions with Oman over how to manage the strategic waterway.