Concerns growing over <a href="https://healthylife7.com/can-science-museums-help-us-talk-about-mental-health/” title=”Can science museums help us talk about mental health?”>mental health and food supply aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln
Concerns over mental health and supply shortages aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln have led to bipartisan calls for an investigation, as military officials defend the ship’s conditions
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Updated: 5:19 AM PDT Aug 17, 2026Editorial Standards ⓘ
Rachel Hirschheimer
Washington Correspondent
Ben Miller
Supervising Producer
Concerns growing over mental health and food supply aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln
Concerns over mental health and supply shortages aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln have led to bipartisan calls for an investigation, as military officials defend the ship’s conditions
Updated: 5:19 AM PDT Aug 17, 2026Editorial Standards ⓘ
Rachel Hirschheimer
Washington Correspondent
Ben Miller
Supervising Producer
WASHINGTON —
There’s a bipartisan push for accountability for the reported poor conditions aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln, deployed to the Middle East as part of the Iran war, where sailors are said to have suffered from an uptick in mental health crises and supply shortages
If you or someone you know needs help, you can talk with the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by calling or sending a text message to 988, or you canchat online here
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The USS George Washington, another aircraft carrier, is now headed to the region to relieve the Lincoln
Admiral Brad Cooper visited the Lincoln over the weekend and commended the leadership aboard the carrier for prioritizing mental health and resilience
He said the ship currently has among the lowest number of cases related to mental health
“Of the Navy’s 11 active aircraft carriers, the Lincoln currently has among the lowest number of cases related to mental health. This doesn’t mean that all is perfect. Find any of the nearly 4 million Navy veterans in America today and they will likely tell you that service at sea for long periods isn’t for everyone,” Cooper said
Cooper visited the ship as part of a 10-day trip to the Middle East
Over the weekend, a U.S. official told Hearst Television in a statement, “We have not observed an increase in suicidal ideations or attempts aboard the ship.”
The official also said, “Current reports from the ship confirm continuous access to clean water, functional AC, and healthy meal options.”
Despite these statements, concerns remain about mental health and food shortages on the Lincoln. Family and friends of those on the ship have relayed these concerns to the press
USS Abraham Lincoln sailors reportedly tried to jump overboard amid extended deployment
There is a bipartisan push for more answers regarding conditions service members are facing
“We should have oversight. We should bring in secretary of the Navy and/or the commander, the – the service chief of the Navy, and have them explain to us the truth on that,” saidRep. Don Bacon, R-Neb
“They were basically trying and hoping that this war would end up just like the war in Venezuela,” Sen. Ruben Gallego, D-Arizsaid. “Our men and women are now suffering the consequences of that.”
Meanwhile, a memorandum of understanding signed between the U.S. and Iranexpires on Monday. It was intended to permanently end the war by this point
The preliminary deal, signed back in June, called for a permanent end to military action and started a 60-day negotiating period to reach a final deal on the future of Iran’s nuclear program
Since then, the U.S. and Iran have repeatedly accused each other of violating the agreement. Talks have stalled amid a feud over the Strait of Hormuz, the crucial oil shipping route where traffic has been disrupted for months
Last month, President Donald Trump said he believed the memorandum was over
Hearst Television contacted the White House asking if the agreement will be extended, but has not heard back
Keep watching for the latest from the Washington News Bureau:
‘Not nearly long enough’: President Trump downplays concerns over record USS Lincoln deployment
Lawmakers demand answers over reported declining conditions aboard USS Abraham Lincoln
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