Admiral Cooper praises USS Lincoln crew after 250-day deployment

Admiral Brad Cooper visited the USS Abraham Lincoln on Friday, after media reports highlighted mental‑health and supply problems on the carrier. He called the crew “awe‑inspiring” and noted that the ship has one of the lowest numbers of mental‑health cases among the Navy’s 11 active aircraft carriers.

The comments come as the Lincoln has spent more than 250 days at sea without a port call. The extended deployment, part of the U.S. strategy against Iran, has raised alarms among lawmakers about the crew’s well‑being. Several of the 5,000‑strong crew have reportedly attempted to jump overboard, prompting concerns about the strain of long, isolated missions.

Cooper said the ship’s situation is not “perfect” but that service at sea is uniquely challenging. “Every single one of us, including me, reacts to stressors in different ways,” he said in a statement shared on X. He stressed that the carrier’s low mental‑health case count shows the crew’s resilience, but it does not erase the difficulties faced by sailors on extended deployments.

The U.S. Navy is moving the USS George Washington from near Japan to replace the Lincoln. When asked whether the carrier had been deployed too long, President Donald Trump replied, “No, not nearly long enough.” The redeployment signals a shift in naval priorities as Washington heads to the Middle East, while Congress continues to push for better support and resources for sailors on prolonged missions.