Admiral praises USS Lincoln crew amid reports of worsening conditions during long deployment

WASHINGTON, Aug 16 (Reuters) – The leader of U.S. Central Command, Admiral Brad Cooper, wrote on Sunday that his recent visit to the USS Abraham Lincoln was “awe-inspiring” and hailed the crew’s “resilience” following reports of concerns about mental health and deteriorating conditions aboard the aircraft carrier.

The ship has not made a port call in more than 200 days, setting a modern-day record for consecutive days at sea, according to Democratic lawmakers who have called for answers after sailors’ families raised concerns about worsening conditions on the Lincoln. 

Cooper wrote in a statement posted on social media on Sunday that the Lincoln had the lowest number of mental health cases of the Navy’s 11 active aircraft carriers. He praised the carrier’s leadership for prioritizing mental health and crew resilience.

The Lincoln left its home port of San Diego in November and was later redirected to the Middle East to support U.S. military operations in the war with Iran. The carrier has roughly 5,000 sailors and Marines aboard.

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said earlier this week that reports about conditions on the ship “completely misrepresented” the situation. President Donald Trump on Friday dismissed concerns about the length of the ship’s deployment, saying it was “not nearly long enough.”

(Reporting by Pete Schroeder; Editing by Sergio Non and Mark Porter)

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