USS Lincoln sailors attempt jumping overboard amid record deployment, collapsing morale

The aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln has been at sea without stopping at a port for over 250 days as it supports operations in the Middle East. Typically, carriers stop at a port every few weeks during a deployment, allowing shore leave for the crew and opportunities to restock fresh food and other necessities. Long uninterrupted months at sea and tense operating conditions on board are taking a severe toll on the morale and mental wellbeing of the sailors and Marines on board.

In a recent town hall with Acting Secretary Cao, multiple family members mentioned communications with their loved ones on the Lincoln being infrequent. When they do get to speak, they report that their family members on the Lincoln seem depressed, exhausted and overwhelmed.

For months, Lincoln sailors and their family members have reported food and water shortages, poor quality food and sanitation problems. In a letter to War Secretary Pete Hegseth, Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) cited, “widespread reports of shortages of basic supplies, water contamination, plumbing issues, deteriorating mental health, deck safety concerns,” on the Lincoln. Blumenthal also addressed reports of “disruptions in the mail system” which have prevented sailors receiving care packages.

There have been at least two reports of sailors attempting to jump overboard from the Lincoln. At least one of these attempts was successful. The sailor was rescued within an hour and was not reported to be seriously injured. We are largely relying on anecdotal reports as the Navy has yet to disclose an exact number of attempted jumping incidents.

Not just the Lincoln

The aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford was recently deployed for over 326 days, the longest single deployment of an aircraft carrier since the Vietnam War. Unlike the Lincoln, the Ford did make at least 6 port calls during that time. Even so, the fire brought an end to a deployment plagued by clogged toilets and plummeting morale. Before joining the fight in the Middle East, the Ford had been deployed in the Caribbean where it took part in operations against Venezuela. The Ford’s lengthy deployment came to an abrupt end when a laundry fire on board caused serious damage and forced a return to port. The Navy is actively investigating whether the laundry fire was a deliberate act of sabotage by crewmembers.

There have also been reports of morale issues in other branches of the military during the Iran war. These reports are anecdotal so it is impossible to use them to create a holistic picture. However, the issues reported indicate dissatisfaction among some servicemembers about the overall direction of the military under Trump and Hegseth’s leadership. Moral qualms about the mission itself are also apparent among some servicemembers, with some seeking to apply for conscientious objector status amid the recent conflict.

Rep. Seth Moulton (D-MT), himself a Marine veteran, gave voice to some of these questions about the mission itself in a recent CNN interview. “It’s really hard to be excited about that mission (the war with Iran). There’s no one who believes in it right now, and that’s got to be one of the toughest tolls on our troops”. In a separate interview, Moulton points out the reason US ships cannot dock anywhere in the Middle East is because the US-Israeli war on Iran has actually emboldened Iran to target ports, making them unsafe for US ships.