The top leader for U.S. Central Command visited the crew of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln on Saturday after reports emerged of deteriorating mental health and declining morale aboard the ship.
Adm. Brad Cooper met with sailors and Marines after Military Times learned that two service members attempted to jump overboard during the Lincoln’s extended deployment of more than 260 days.
“Of the U.S. Navy’s 11 active aircraft carriers, the Lincoln currently has among the lowest number of cases related to mental health,” Cooper said in a social media statement.
Cooper conceded that not everything was perfect aboard the ship and that service at sea is challenging and affects each sailor differently.
Cooper’s visit came during a 10-day trip to the Middle East that saw him meet with civilian and military leaders from six countries, including Israel and Iraq.
Cooper last visited the Lincoln in February near the start of Operation Epic Fury.
Family members of service members aboard the Lincoln raised concerns on Aug. 6 during a town-hall meeting with Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao and other senior military officials.
Roughly 200 in-person attendees described worries that their loved ones were experiencing thoughts of self-harm during an extended deployment in which sailors haven’t had a port call in over 240 days.
The Lincoln stopped in Guam in December 2025 for a port call and then again for one in July in Oman.
Sen. Richard Blumenthal said in a letter to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth that it was the longest continuous days at sea between port calls in Navy history.
Several other news outlets reported on sailors trying to flee the ship.
U.S. officials allegedly told CNN that a sailor went overboard on the Lincoln and was rescued within the hour.
Stars and Stripes reported an incident in which a crew member was intercepted by other service members before attempting to jump overboard.
MS NOW also reported that a sailor jumped overboard and was in the water for almost an hour before being rescued. The family member of that sailor described the jump as a suicide attempt and said her husband’s mental health concerns were brushed aside by the chain of command and medical team aboard.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told reporters after the news broke that the reports were “completely misrepresented.”
When asked by reporters, President Donald Trump dismissed military families’ concerns about the Lincoln’s deployment length, saying that it’s “not nearly long enough.”
Riley Ceder is a Navy reporter at Military Times, where he covers issues directly affecting service members and their families, as well as breaking news.
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