The head of US Central Command, Admiral Brad Cooper, said his recent visit aboard the aircraft carrier "Lincoln" was "impressive" and praised the "resilience" of the crew after reports of mental health concerns and deteriorating conditions aboard the ship.
In a statement released by CENTCOM in X, Cooper noted that while extended service at sea is "extremely challenging and demanding", "Lincoln" has the fewest mental health issues among the Navy's 11 active aircraft carriers and praised the ship's leadership for prioritizing the mental health and resilience of its crew.
We recall that allegations of poor conditions aboard the aircraft carrier "Abraham Lincoln" have emerged, with reports of shortages of supplies, problems with sanitary facilities and deteriorating mental health.
Among the problems cited were a shortage of soap, clogged toilets and concerns about the safety of the ship's open decks. It was also reported that postal system disruptions had caused shipments of supplies intended for crew members to remain in transit for months.
At the time, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) denied these claims, saying that 84.4% of the crew had chosen to remain in service after their contracts expired. The command said that the sailors and Marines had maintained their resilience and determination after spending more than 260 days at sea.
CENTCOM also denied reports that a crew member had died aboard the aircraft carrier. A sailor who fell overboard on August 3 was quickly and safely pulled from the water, the command said, calling reports of a fatality false.
But Iranian media reported that seven people had been killed in fierce clashes aboard the aircraft carrier and that tensions among the crew were high.