USS Abraham Lincoln commander tells reeling crew that relief is on the way

Adm. Brad Cooper on Sunday praised the crew of the USS Abraham Lincoln on a record-breaking deployment and promised the 5,000 Marines and sailors aboard the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier that relief was coming, with sister ship the USS George Washington making its way into the Indian Ocean.

The admiral, the top American commander in the Middle East, called his tour one day earlier of the Lincoln, part of a 10-day trip to the region that ended Saturday, "awe-inspiring."

He acknowledged the mental health challenges faced by the crew, but he defended the Lincoln's record in a statement posted to social media: "Here's an important fact: Of the U.S. Navy's 11 active aircraft carriers, the Lincoln currently has among the lowest number of cases related to mental health … This doesn't mean that all is perfect. Find any of the nearly 4 million Navy veterans in America today and they will likely tell you that service at sea for long periods isn't for everyone."

The warship has been the focus of intense media coverage and public controversy over its extended deployment of more than 250 days at sea supporting U.S. military operations against Iran. Some family members of the crew have complained about poor living conditions, including substandard food.

Navy officials said Adm. Cooper met with the crew for the second time this year. He previously visited the Lincoln in February along with Trump administration envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.

"The Lincoln Carrier Strike Group is a strong team of high-achieving Americans standing tall with immense, justified pride in everything they accomplished," he said. "History will record this deployment as one of the most operationally intense and consequential of the modern era."

A U.S. official told The Washington Times that the USS Abraham Lincoln is operating in a highly contested environment where combat missions have disrupted traditional supply hubs in the Middle East.

"In response, leadership prioritized mission-critical supplies: first food, then hygiene items, then mail," the official said. "Current reports from the ship confirm continuous access to clean water, functional air conditioning, and healthy meal options."

Retired Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, a former chairman of the Joint Chiefs, spoke with Adm. Cooper just after the visit to the Lincoln.

"He told me he had a really good visit. He said many of these problems were early in the deployment and they were solved," Adm. Mullen said Sunday on ABC's "This Week." "But these are morale issues on a ship, which you really have to focus on. They have been pressed in combat — the number of missions [and] the accomplishments."

He said the morale aboard the carrier perked up considerably after Adm. Cooper confirmed to the crew that they would be relieved by the Japan-based USS George Washington. It was last reported passing through the Strait of Malacca.

Some relatives of Lincoln crew members reported an uptick in mental health crises aboard the ship, including suicide attempts. Navy officials later confirmed that a sailor assigned to the Lincoln's attached air wing went overboard from the ship in early August.

"The sailor was quickly recovered by an air wing search and rescue helicopter, treated by Abraham Lincoln's medical department, and transferred off the ship for follow-on care," the Navy said. "The sailor's family was notified according to standing notification policies."

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has condemned the "reckless and shameless" media reports that he says misrepresent the conditions aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln.

"The brave sailors of that strike group are very proud of their tough and historic mission. They embody resilience and excellence," Mr. Hegseth said on X.