PNN – The Guardian has reported on the anger and despair among the crew of the USS Abraham Lincoln, noting that their mental state has reached a breaking point.
According to the report of Pakistan News Network; The Guardian reported that the extended and unprecedented deployment of the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln—linked to the US-Israeli conflict with Iran—has exacerbated a mental health crisis among the ship’s approximately 5,000 sailors and Marines; indeed, published reports indicate that several sailors have attempted to throw themselves overboard.
According to The Guardian, the USS Abraham Lincoln has now entered the ninth month of its deployment, with its crew having spent over 250 consecutive days at sea—a situation that has pushed them to the brink of a mental breakdown.
Citing reports from Navy Times and Stars and Stripes, The Guardian noted that the extended deployment, psychological strain, and deteriorating living conditions aboard the ship have sparked concern among the service members’ families and some members of the U.S. Congress.
During a recent meeting in San Diego between crew members’ families and U.S. Navy officials, approximately 200 family members voiced their concerns directly to senior Navy leadership. According to The Guardian, one military spouse stated at the meeting that her husband had written in a message that he “hoped not to wake up the next day.”
Reports also indicate several instances of sailors attempting to jump overboard. The Guardian quoted Annabel Loma, the wife of one of the sailors, as saying that her husband had attempted to throw himself into the water after his deployment at sea was repeatedly extended.
Noting her husband’s concerns about the consequences of this action, Luma said he fears facing a dishonorable discharge from the military and losing his 13-year service record.
In a separate incident, a sailor’s wife told The Guardian that her husband managed to restrain another crew member who was attempting to throw himself overboard and bring him back onto the deck.
Congressional Objections to Conditions aboard the Ship
This situation has also drawn a reaction from members of the U.S. Congress. Mike Levin, a Democratic representative from California, has sharply criticized the living conditions of the Abraham Lincoln’s crew.
Writing on the social media platform X, he reported issues such as moldy showers, broken toilets, washing machines out of service for weeks, prolonged periods without hot water, and poor food quality. Levin also revealed that some meals consisted of nothing more than meager portions of rice and bread, and that even basic hygiene products—such as soap, toothpaste, and deodorant—were unavailable.
Jason Crow, a Democratic representative from Colorado and a former U.S. Army officer who served in Afghanistan and Iraq, has also warned that the strain on the carrier’s crew and their families is “mounting week by week.”
The Guardian reported that this crisis has been building over several months. The USS Abraham Lincoln departed San Diego on November 21 and was initially scheduled for deployment in the Pacific; however, its mission was altered following the onset of the U.S.-Israel conflict with Iran, and it was dispatched to the Middle East.
According to the report, more than 5,000 crew members have spent only two days on land since the mission began—once in Guam in December and again in Oman in July. The ship’s mission was originally scheduled to end in May but was extended several times as the conflict continued.
The Guardian also noted that reports had surfaced in April regarding shortages of food and water, broken washing machines, and sanitation issues aboard the ship. U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth dismissed these reports at the time, labeling them “more fake news.”