2 weeks ago
Hegseth rejects USS Abraham Lincoln hardship reports amid record deployment
A very big ship full of about 5,000 sailors, called the USS Abraham Lincoln, has been sailing far from home for more than 240 days.
It is in the Middle East to help the United States in a fight with Iran.
Some newspapers and senators say the sailors are running out of important things like food, water, soap and mail, and that some sailors feel very sad or stressed.
The person in charge of the US military, Pete Hegseth, says those stories are not true and that the Navy is taking good care of everyone on the ship.
He said the sailors are doing an amazing job even though it is hard.
Some senators want to visit the ship to check for themselves.
The Navy says it gave sailors food and hygiene items first, and that they now have clean water and healthy meals.
The Navy also says it has not seen more sailors trying to hurt themselves.
Meanwhile, another aircraft carrier, the USS George Washington, is sailing to the Middle East, and some people worry that leaves the Pacific Ocean without a US carrier to keep watch there.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth dismissed reports of poor morale, supply shortages and mental health concerns aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln as "completely misrepresented."
The carrier has spent more than 240 consecutive days at sea, one of the longest uninterrupted deployments of a US aircraft carrier in recent years.
Senators Richard Blumenthal and Ruben Gallego cited shortages of basic supplies, water contamination, plumbing issues, deck safety concerns, mail disruptions and deteriorating mental health among sailors.
The Navy acknowledged that combat operations disrupted traditional Middle East supply routes, causing shortages, and said it prioritized food, then hygiene items, then mail.
The USS George Washington is heading toward the Middle East, a move that could temporarily leave the Pacific without a US aircraft carrier presence.
- Who
- Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Navy leadership, Senators Richard Blumenthal and Ruben Gallego, and the roughly 5,000 sailors aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln.
- What
- Hegseth rejected reports of poor conditions on the USS Abraham Lincoln while lawmakers called for scrutiny, and the USS George Washington began heading toward the Middle East.
- Where
- The USS Abraham Lincoln is operating in the Middle East; Hegseth spoke during a visit to Panama; the USS George Washington was in the Strait of Malacca heading toward the Indian Ocean.
- When
- Hegseth spoke on Thursday, August 13; the carrier has been at sea since November 2025 and deployed to the Middle East since January.
- Why
- The carrier is supporting the US military campaign against Iran during an extended deployment, raising concerns about the physical and mental strain on its crew.
Lawmakers and military press raise alarm
Pentagon and Navy defend operations
Sailor living conditions
Lawmakers and military press raise alarm
Navy Times and Stars and Stripes, along with Senators Blumenthal and Gallego, cite shortages of basic supplies, water contamination, plumbing issues, deck safety concerns, mail disruptions and care packages lost in transit for months.
Pentagon and Navy defend operations
Hegseth says such accounts were "completely misrepresented," and the Navy says it prioritized food, then hygiene items, then mail, with sailors now having access to clean water and healthy meal options.
Mental health and suicide reports
Lawmakers and military press raise alarm
Reports describe declining morale and reports that sailors attempted to jump overboard during the prolonged deployment.
Pentagon and Navy defend operations
The Navy said it had "not observed an increase in suicidal ideations or attempts aboard the ship" and declined to release specific data, citing operational security and patient privacy.
Key facts
- Aircraft carrier
- USS Abraham Lincoln
- Crew size
- Roughly 5,000 sailors
- Days at sea
- More than 240 consecutive days
- Departed San Diego
- November 21, 2025
- Reached Middle East
- January 2026
- US-Israel conflict with Iran began
- February 28
- Hegseth's remarks
- Thursday, August 13
- Incoming carrier
- USS George Washington
Quotes
U.S. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth
United States Defence Secretary
“"Some deployments are longer than others, and I have more respect and gratitude for those sailors than anybody. What they do in those high seas in those austere conditions with less port calls—it's incredible."”
news18.com
“"Widespread reports of shortages of basic supplies, water contamination, plumbing issues, deteriorating mental health, deck safety concerns, and disruptions in the mail system."”
livemint.com
Sources
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