Prolonged US war deployment pushes Abraham Lincoln crew toward breaking point

SAN DIEGO, United States (MNTV) — Reports that several sailors aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln have attempted to go overboard are intensifying concerns over the human cost of the United States’ prolonged military campaign against Iran, as the aircraft carrier and its roughly 5,000 sailors and Marines remain trapped in an exceptionally extended deployment.

The reports were published by Navy Times and Stars and Stripes and subsequently reported by The Guardian. Families of crew members have described severe exhaustion, deteriorating morale and mounting anxiety as the deployment continues without a publicly announced date for the ship’s return.

The Lincoln left San Diego on Nov. 21, 2025, originally for a Pacific deployment. It was subsequently diverted to the Middle East and became involved in US military operations in the region.

The Navy has since kept the carrier at sea for an extraordinary period, with Stars and Stripes reporting that it had surpassed the previous modern-era record for consecutive days at sea.

Military families say the prolonged deployment has taken an increasingly heavy psychological toll.

During a meeting with Navy officials in San Diego attended by roughly 200 family members, relatives raised concerns about the mental condition of sailors and the absence of a clear homecoming date.

One spouse reportedly told officials that her husband had messaged her that he hoped he would not wake up the following day.

Other families described sailors struggling with exhaustion and deteriorating living conditions aboard the carrier.

Reports have included complaints about food, sanitation problems and shortages of basic personal supplies, adding to concerns over whether the US military is adequately protecting personnel being kept at sea for such prolonged periods.

Navy Times and Stars and Stripes reported separate incidents in which sailors were allegedly stopped from going overboard. In one reported case, a sailor was pulled back onto the deck by a shipmate before others arrived to assist.

The Navy has not released a figure for the number of sailors who have attempted suicide or tried to go overboard.

In a statement reported by The Guardian, the service said that, based on information available to the command, it had not identified an increase in reported suicidal ideation or suicide attempts aboard the carrier.

Navy officials also said sailors have access to medical professionals, chaplains and mental-health services.

The official position has done little to quiet concerns among relatives, who argue that the extraordinary length of the deployment itself is contributing to the crisis.

The Lincoln’s extended mission is particularly striking because the ship’s current deployment was not initially planned as an open-ended Middle East operation.

Official US Central Command material confirms that the carrier was operating in the Arabian Sea in February while supporting US operations in the region.

By July, Stars and Stripes reported that the carrier had reached 207 consecutive days at sea, surpassing a record previously established during the COVID-19 pandemic. The only port visit during that period had been a brief stop in Guam in December.

The strain has also exposed the broader costs of Washington’s decision to sustain a major carrier presence in a conflict zone for months.

A carrier designed to project US military power has instead become the center of an increasingly public dispute over whether its personnel are being pushed beyond reasonable operational limits.

Navy Secretary Hung Cao reportedly told families that the USS Theodore Roosevelt carrier strike group was being prepared to relieve the Lincoln, but no specific timeline for the relief or the crew’s return has been announced.

The episode illustrates a less visible consequence of Washington’s prolonged military intervention: while US officials continue to project military strength abroad, the sailors required to sustain that policy are facing an increasingly difficult deployment with no clear end in sight.