WASHINGTON: USS Lincoln mental health concerns drew public attention after U.S. Central Command chief Adm. Brad Cooper visited the carrier and acknowledged the strain of long deployments.
Cooper said the Lincoln has one of the lowest numbers of mental health cases among the Navy’s 11 active aircraft carriers. He also said conditions were not “perfect.”
His remarks followed reports of poor morale, difficult living conditions and sailors attempting to go overboard. Navy Times and Stars and Stripes were among the outlets cited in the supplied material.
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The carrier has been deployed for more than eight months. Cooper said ship leaders had made mental health and crew resilience a priority.
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President Donald Trump of the United States rejected suggestions that the deployment had lasted too long. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth also said media reports had misrepresented conditions.
Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao later announced that the Lincoln would return home. The USS George Washington is expected to replace it in the Middle East, according to the supplied reporting.
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Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand called for hearings and accountability over reported conditions aboard the carrier. She serves on the Senate Armed Services and Intelligence committees.
