US navy veterans and military health experts express concern over USS Abraham Lincoln sailors

Prolonged deployment is coupled with reports of water shortages, plumbing issues and attempts to jump overboard

US navy veterans and military health experts are expressing concerns about the strain on sailors aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln, which has spent nearly nine months at sea supporting US operations in the Middle East, https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/aug/12/uss-abraham-lincoln-overboard-extended-deployment">amid reports of poor living conditions and worsening mental health among its crew.

The San Diego-based aircraft carrier left port on 21 November, originally bound for the Pacific, but was redirected to the Middle East as the US-Israel war with Iran began.

It has now spent more than 250 consecutive days at sea without a significant port visit, with its https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/aug/12/uss-abraham-lincoln-overboard-extended-deployment">deployment repeatedly extended.