The USS Abraham Lincoln, with about 5,000 military personnel on board, began its return voyage to the United States on Thursday, The New York Times reported, citing a U.S. official, after another aircraft carrier group arrived to relieve them.
Earlier that same Thursday, U.S. Central Command released an image of the USS George Washington, an aircraft carrier previously deployed in Asia, operating in the Arabian Sea—one week after the Wall Street Journal first reported that this ship would replace the Abraham Lincoln in ongoing operations in the region.
When asked about this, U.S. Central Command referred to a statement by its commander, Admiral Brad Cooper, who on Saturday wished the sailors and Marines on board “fair winds and favorable seas on their journey home.”
The Background: The Sailors’ Discontent
The USS Abraham Lincoln has been deployed since November 2025, making this nine-month deployment one of the longest since the Cold War. The aircraft carrier was originally deployed in the Pacific but was transferred to the Middle East in January to support the war in Iran, which began on February 28. Several military publications have reported in recent weeks on conditions aboard the ship: Navy Times reported that several sailors had attempted to jump overboard, while Stars and Stripes reported that family members of the crew pressured Acting Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao after receiving reports of deteriorating mental health among their loved ones. Rep. Mike Levin, a Democrat from California, later expressed concern about moldy showers, broken toilets, shortages of basic hygiene products such as soap and toothpaste, as well as food rationing—allegations also reported by other media outlets that spoke with family members of the military personnel.
Counterpoint: The Authorities’ Response
Despite reports of a mental health crisis, Cooper recently stated that the Abraham Lincoln had “one of the lowest numbers of mental health-related cases” compared to other Navy aircraft carriers. The admiral visited the aircraft carrier as part of a ten-day tour of the Middle East, where he said he spoke with crew members aboard the embattled ship. In an op-ed published in the Wall Street Journal, Cooper argued that “issues related to food, hot water, and other concerns raised months ago were addressed by the command and resolved,” though he admitted that “the crew is tired but continues to operate at full capacity.” President Donald Trump also downplayed concerns about the ship, calling them a “false CNN report” and insisting that he had heard, secondhand, an account from an admiral who claimed the ship was “magnificently maintained and very well cared for.”
