Based on reporting by NZZ
The nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln has just set an unwelcome record: 250 consecutive days at sea—the longest continuous deployment of any U.S. carrier in modern history. The reason? The war with Iran. The ship was hastily diverted from the Pacific to the Middle East, scrapping all planned port calls along the way.
Now, family members of the more than 5,000 sailors on board are speaking out—and they’re furious. Conditions have deteriorated to a breaking point, they say. Food is so scarce that some crew members have reportedly been given as little as half a cup of rice and two tortillas for a meal. Basics like soap, toothpaste, and deodorant are in short supply.
Showers, laundry facilities, and toilets are frequently out of order. And the crew is working crushing hours with almost no time to recover.
Even more disturbing are reports of multiple suicide attempts—sailors trying to jump overboard. One was pulled from the water; another was stopped at the last second.
The Navy has flatly denied all allegations, insisting that the ship is well-stocked and that mental health professionals, chaplains, and medical staff are available. But Democratic lawmakers aren’t buying it. They’re demanding that the Pentagon provide a full and detailed accounting of life aboard the Lincoln.
There is at least one glimmer of hope: the USS George Washington is already en route from Vietnam to relieve the exhausted crew. But when exactly the Lincoln will finally head home remains unclear.
