A senior US Navy commander has declared mental health a leadership priority aboard the USS Lincoln, as concerns mount over conditions on the carrier following an extended deployment.
Admiral Cooper said in a statement on Sunday: "I've long believed that mental health is another aspect of individual health and requires our attention just like physical health and spiritual health. I applaud Lincoln's leadership for... stepping up and making mental health and crew resilience a leadership priority."
The USS Lincoln has approximately 5,000 personnel aboard. The deployment, originally set to end in May, has been repeatedly extended. Crew members have reportedly been at sea without a port call for over 200 consecutive days.
Reports last week described conditions aboard the ship as including poor sanitation, broken plumbing, infrequent port visits, and shortages of fresh food. Family members of sailors have expressed concern about deteriorating mental health, with some crew members reportedly having attempted to jump overboard.
The US Navy last week acknowledged supply challenges but denied there was a mental health crisis on the vessel.
Thirteen Democrats on the Senate Armed Services Committee sent a letter on Saturday to Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, criticising the length of the deployment and demanding answers.
Hegseth last week called reports about conditions aboard the ship "completely misrepresented." President Donald Trump dismissed suggestions the sailors had been at sea too long, telling reporters on Friday: "Not nearly long enough."
Maryland's Democratic Governor Wes Moore, a US Army veteran, said on Sunday that the reported conditions were "heartbreaking" and that the Republican president should have "more compassion."
The USS George Washington is reportedly heading to the region to replace the Lincoln and could arrive within approximately one week.
If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this story, help and support can be found at Befrienders Worldwide or by calling the US Suicide and Crisis Lifeline on 988.
