The wife also said crew members have been asking their commanding officer for updates about when they might return, but are told to “just worry about today. Her account comes as the carrier has spent more than 250 days deployed and faces growing questions about sailors’ mental health and living conditions.
Aaron Parnas, attorney and independent journalist, shared a message from the wife of a USS Abraham Lincoln sailor who described the carrier’s deployment as the “worst deployment” her husband has faced in more than 20 years of service. She said sailors are exhausted, getting only a few hours of sleep and not receiving days off.
Military Times and Stars and Stripes reported that some sailors had tried or considered going overboard. Parnas also quoted her saying: “They are exhausted . . . and they desperately need help. Her account has not been independently verified, but it adds to wider concerns already raised by families and lawmakers about the long deployment. The extended mission has also brought reports of serious mental health concerns. The Navy has not publicly given a full number of such incidents. Families have also raised concerns about supplies, food, water, plumbing, laundry and mail. Democratic lawmakers, including Sen. Richard Blumenthal, have asked the Pentagon and Navy for answers about the conditions aboard the carrier. The move could give the sailors aboard the Lincoln a path home after months at sea.
The USS Abraham Lincoln left Naval Base San Diego on November 21, 2025, and was later redirected to the Middle East. The carrier, which has about 5,000 sailors and Marines aboard, has now been deployed for more than eight months. Reports say it has gone about 200 days without a port call. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth pushed back against reports about worsening conditions aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln on August 13.
Because sailors felt unheard, while also making clear that she did not want her husband or other crew members put at greater risk, the woman said she was speaking out.
In his August 13 post, Parnas said the sailor’s wife told him this was the “worst deployment” her husband had experienced in 20+ years of service. She said sailors had been seeking information about the situation and their return, but were told to focus only on the present. In one recent incident, a sailor went overboard and was rescued, according to officials. He said reports describing the situation were “completely misrepresented,” while praising the sailors and the Navy’s efforts to support them. At the same time, the US is preparing another carrier, the USS George Washington, to head to the Middle East and relieve the Lincoln, according to reports.
