US Defense Secretary on Thursday (August 13) rejected reports of deteriorating conditions aboard the aircraft carrier , saying accounts of poor morale, supply shortages and mental health concerns had been “completely misrepresented” as the ship continues its extended deployment in the Middle East.
The roughly 5,000-member carrier has been at sea since November 2025 and has been deployed to the Middle East since January, supporting the US military campaign against Iran.
Two military-focused publications, Navy Times and Stars and Stripes, have , as per Reuters.
Asked about the reports during a visit to Panama, defended the Navy’s support for the crew.
“We make sure every ship, every crew, every captain has everything we can provide them at every single moment.”
He added that some deployments are longer than others and praised sailors serving in difficult conditions.
“What they do on those high seas in those austere conditions with less port calls — it’s incredible.”
USS Abraham Lincoln deployment crosses 240 days
The Lincoln’s deployment has included more than 240 consecutive days at sea, one of the longest uninterrupted periods for a US aircraft carrier in recent years.
Navy deployments typically last between six and nine months, although combat operations can extend those timelines.
The carrier originally left San Diego on November 21 and reached the Middle East in January, ahead of the US-Israel conflict with Iran that began on February 28.
The prolonged deployment has raised concerns over the physical and mental strain on sailors, particularly as the carrier operates in a region where Iranian drone and missile attacks remain a threat.
Reports cite supply shortages, mental health concerns
Democratic lawmakers have called for greater scrutiny of conditions aboard the Lincoln.
Connecticut Senator Richard Blumenthal, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said reports indicated problems involving basic supplies, water, plumbing, mail and sailors’ mental health.
In a letter to Hegseth and Navy leadership, Blumenthal cited “widespread reports of shortages of basic supplies, water contamination, plumbing issues, deteriorating mental health, deck safety concerns, and disruptions in the mail system.”
He also said some care packages sent to sailors had reportedly been lost in transit for months.
Arizona Senator Ruben Gallego, a Marine Corps veteran, said he was seeking to organise a bipartisan congressional delegation to visit the ship.
He described the reported treatment of sailors as “not just disgusting; it’s dangerous.”
Navy acknowledges supply disruption
The Navy has previously disputed reports of food shortages aboard the carrier.
However, the service acknowledged that combat operations had disrupted traditional supply routes in the Middle East.
The Navy said the conflict had created a “highly contested environment where traditional supply hubs in the Middle East were disrupted by combat actions.”
As a result, shortages and mail delays occurred aboard the carrier.
“Leadership prioritized mission-critical supplies: first food, then hygiene items, then mail,”
the Navy said, adding that sailors now have access to clean water and “healthy meal options.”
(With Reuters, AP inputs)
Navy disputes rise in suicide attempts
Reports have also raised concerns about sailors’ mental health.
The Navy said it had “not observed an increase in suicidal ideations or attempts aboard the ship.” Officials declined to release specific data, citing operational security and patient privacy.
A Navy official said a sailor went overboard in early August but was quickly recovered, treated by the ship’s medical department and transferred elsewhere for further care.
The official did not say whether the incident was being investigated as a possible suicide attempt.
USS George Washington heads toward Middle East
As the controversy surrounding the Lincoln grows, another US aircraft carrier is heading toward the region.
The USS George Washington, which is based in the Pacific, left Da Nang, Vietnam, last week. A Navy statement said the carrier was travelling with a cruiser and destroyer.
The vessels have since been spotted crossing the Singapore Strait, while a Navy official confirmed that the Washington was in the Strait of Malacca and heading toward the Indian Ocean.
The move could temporarily leave the Pacific without a US aircraft carrier presence, at a time when the Trump administration is focused on deterring China in the region.
