The USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72), a Nimitz-class aircraft carrier carrying about 5,000 sailors and Marines, has been deployed for more than 260 days after leaving Naval Base San Diego on November 21, 2025. The carrier was later redirected to the Middle East to support U.S. military operations against Iran. It has spent more than 200 consecutive days at sea without a port visit, setting a modern record for the Navy.
Reports from Navy Times, Stars and Stripes, MS NOW and crew families have raised concerns about shortages of food and basic hygiene supplies, including soap and toothpaste, along with water and plumbing problems, limited mail delivery and mental-health concerns. Some reports described sailors attempting or threatening to go overboard. The Navy has said it has not seen an increase in suicidal ideation or attempts and confirmed that one sailor went overboard in early August, was recovered, treated and transferred off the ship.
The Navy has also said the carrier has clean water, functioning air conditioning and healthy meals. Officials said meal plans were adjusted when fresh resupply was limited, but no meals were missed.
Bahrain Attack Disrupted Supply Routes
The supply difficulties have been linked to Iranian missile and drone attacks on Naval Support Activity Bahrain, a key logistics hub for the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet. The base suffered significant damage to command facilities, warehouses and other structures, disrupting established regional supply operations.
The Navy subsequently shifted logistics to Naval Support Facility Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean. The longer supply route has made resupply more difficult for carrier forces operating around the Gulf of Oman and Arabian Sea. The Navy has described the situation as a "highly contested environment" in which traditional Middle Eastern supply hubs were disrupted by combat actions, with food prioritized ahead of hygiene supplies and mail.
Dispute Over Hegseth's Handling of the Damage
MS NOW journalist David Rohde has argued that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth did not fully disclose the extent of the Bahrain damage in public briefings, contributing to inadequate alternative supply arrangements. However, claims that Hegseth deliberately concealed the damage have not been established by documented evidence of a cover-up.
Hegseth has rejected reports about deteriorating conditions aboard the Lincoln, calling them "completely misrepresented." He has defended the Navy's support for the crew and said he wants sailors rotated and the carrier brought home as soon as possible.
President Donald Trump has also dismissed some concerns, saying the deployment was "not nearly long enough" and indicating that the ship would soon be relieved.
Lawmakers Demand Answers
Senator Richard Blumenthal and other Democratic lawmakers have called for answers about the deployment extension, supply shortages, water and plumbing problems, mental-health support, deck safety and mail disruptions. Families of Lincoln crew members have also raised concerns directly with Navy leaders.
The situation has also prompted criticism from former Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, who described the reported conditions as inexcusable.
USS George Washington to Relieve Lincoln
The U.S. Navy is moving the USS George Washington from the western Pacific toward the Middle East to relieve the Lincoln as part of a planned carrier rotation. The George Washington recently operated in the western Pacific and visited Vietnam before beginning its movement toward the region. Officials have limited details about the exact timeline for operational-security reasons.
The Lincoln has continued combat operations during its extended deployment, including operations involving a blockade of Iranian ports in the Strait of Hormuz. Its carrier strike group has conducted thousands of aircraft flights and expended significant quantities of ordnance.
The extended deployment has highlighted the logistical and personnel demands of sustaining carrier operations when a major regional supply hub is disrupted. The Navy is now preparing for the Lincoln's relief while congressional inquiries into the crew's conditions and deployment continue.
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