The USS Abraham Lincoln has finally departed the Middle East after a record-breaking nine-month deployment, marked by crew exhaustion, mental health concerns, and supply shortages.

The Japan-based USS George Washington has arrived to assume operational duties, while families and lawmakers continue to press for accountability over the conditions endured by sailors.

The USS Abraham Lincoln has begun its return voyage to San Diego after more than 260 days at sea. The deployment was extended due to the US war against Iran, which began in late February 2026.

The carrier served as a primary launchpad for thousands of air sorties, significantly increasing the operational burden on its crew of approximately 5,000 sailors and Marines.

The ship left San Diego on 21 November 2025 and was redirected to the Middle East in January 2026. Its mission included supporting the US bombing campaign “Epic Fury” and enforcing a naval blockade of Iranian ports.

The prolonged deployment was exacerbated by logistical challenges, including damage to a US Navy logistics hub in Bahrain, which disrupted supply chains and left the crew facing shortages of food, water, and hygiene products. Families reported mould in living quarters, plumbing failures, and months-long delays in mail delivery.

Relatives of sailors voiced growing concerns about mental health, fatigue, and emotional strain. Reports emerged of sailors contemplating or attempting suicide, though official figures were not released. On 3 August, a sailor fell overboard but was rescued.

Navy officials insisted there had been no documented rise in suicide attempts or suicidal ideation, but families described conditions as grim, with sailors hungry, losing weight, and sometimes without hot water for days.

Democratic lawmakers, including Senator Richard Blumenthal, demanded answers from Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth and Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao. They cited reports of deteriorating morale, safety concerns on the flight deck, and worsening mental health.

Hegseth dismissed these accounts as “completely misrepresented,” while Cao accused media coverage of dishonesty. President Donald Trump also rejected claims that the deployment was excessively long, stating on 14 August that “not nearly long enough” had been spent at sea.

Admiral Brad Cooper, head of US Central Command, visited the Lincoln on 16 August and praised the crew’s resilience, describing the visit as “awe-inspiring.” He claimed the ship recorded the lowest number of documented mental health cases among the Navy’s 11 active carriers, attributing this to leadership prioritising welfare.

However, he acknowledged the severe strain of extended deployments, noting that stress manifests differently among individuals.

The USS George Washington, normally based in Japan, has now arrived in the Middle East to relieve the Lincoln. It travelled from Da Nang, Vietnam, through the Singapore Strait and Strait of Malacca before entering the Indian Ocean.

Its redeployment leaves the Pacific temporarily without a US carrier presence, raising concerns about deterrence against China.

The Lincoln’s return journey to San Diego is expected to take about three weeks. Families expressed immense relief at the ship’s departure, with parents like Jefferson Kelley eagerly awaiting the return of their children after months of uncertainty. The episode has highlighted the broader strain on US naval forces, with extended deployments increasingly testing both equipment and personnel.

ANI