USS Abraham Lincoln crew attempts suicide overboard as deployment hits record 250 days at sea
Multiple sailors aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln have attempted to jump overboard as the carrier's 5,000 crew members endure a record 250 consecutive days at sea without land, tied to the war with Iran and with no relief date announced.
Extended deployment and suicide attempts
The USS Abraham Lincoln departed San Diego on November 21, 2025, originally bound for the Pacific before being redirected to the Middle East for Operation "Epic Fury" as the war between the United States, Israel, and Iran began. The nuclear-powered carrier arrived off the Iranian coast by late January 2026 and is now in its fifth month of combat operations against Iran. The deployment was initially scheduled to end in May but has been extended indefinitely, with no replacement date announced. The carrier's 5,000 sailors and marines have spent 250 consecutive days without making land as of August 12, a record for an aircraft carrier in modern times, and are in their ninth month at sea.
- USS Abraham Lincoln departs San Diego, originally bound for Pacific
- Brief port stop in Guam; only a fraction of crew allowed ashore
- Carrier arrives off Iranian coast after redirection to Middle East
- Original deployment end date postponed indefinitely
- Brief port stop in Oman after 208 consecutive days at sea
- About 200 family members meet acting navy secretary Hung Cao in San Diego
- Navy Times and Stars and Stripes report multiple suicide attempts aboard
Reports of overboard attempts and mental health breakdown
The Navy Times and Stars and Stripes reported on August 12 that multiple crew members have attempted to jump overboard due to poor conditions and psychological strain. Annabelle Loma told the Navy Times that her husband tried to jump overboard after his deployment was repeatedly extended. He has been medically relieved from duty but remains aboard the carrier, and Loma said she received an initial call from the ship's ombudsman but has heard nothing from the Navy in recent weeks.
He's scared. He thinks he'll get a dishonorable discharge, and just because he was burnt out his 13-year career is ruined, just like that.
Another sailor's wife described how her husband grabbed a fellow crew member by the arm and pulled him back onto the deck as he was climbing over the railing. Stars and Stripes separately reported an incident in which watch personnel stopped a crew member from jumping. It remains unclear whether these accounts describe the same or separate events, though both outlets report multiple incidents. Family members told El Mundo that self-harm acts have become a recurring phenomenon aboard the carrier.
Deteriorating living conditions
Families have described severe degradation of living standards aboard the carrier. Democratic congressman Mike Levin of California detailed the conditions on X on August 11.
Moldy showers, broken toilets, laundry down for weeks, long stretches with no hot water, a meal that came down to half a cup of rice and two tortillas. No soap, deodorant, or toothpaste.
The Navy has rejected accusations of food shortages, stating that the Lincoln and the USS Tripoli had sufficient supplies and that crews received nutritionally adequate meals. The Navy also said any supply gaps were temporary and that the ship remains capable of fulfilling its missions. Vice Admiral Joseph Cahill acknowledged the problem, though his full remarks were not included in the available reporting.
Family meeting and congressional response
Approximately 200 family members attended a town hall meeting in San Diego on August 6 with acting navy secretary Hung Cao, followed by a video call with Vice Admirals Douglas Verissimo and Joseph Cahill. One spouse at the meeting told Cao that the Navy had "broken trust between us and the leadership." Another wife reported that her husband had texted her saying he hoped he would not wake up the next day. Democratic congressman Jason Crow of Colorado, a former Army ranger who served in Afghanistan and Iraq, has also warned about the strain on the crew.
Iranian claims and relief plans
The Iranian state agency Wana, citing an unnamed military source, claimed that mutinies had broken out aboard the Lincoln resulting in seven dead and multiple wounded. This report remains unconfirmed and has been attributed to Tehran regime propaganda by El Mundo and Corriere della Sera. The Navy has confirmed that the USS Theodore Roosevelt is being prepared to relieve the Lincoln, but has not provided a timeline, citing security reasons. The situation recalls the crisis aboard the USS Gerald R. Ford, which returned to the United States after 326 consecutive days of service, a record not seen since the Vietnam War, during which it suffered a laundry fire and clogged toilets.
