00:16The commander of U.S. Central Command is addressing growing concerns surrounding the USS Abraham Lincoln
00:24after one of the longest and most intense carrier deployments in recent U.S. Navy history.
00:31Admiral Brad Cooper visited the carrier during his Middle East trip
00:35and praised the crew for what he called an awe-inspiring performance.
00:41But Cooper also acknowledged something important.
00:44He said,
00:45All is not perfect.
00:48The USS Abraham Lincoln has been deployed for more than 260 days,
00:54supporting U.S. military operations against Iran
00:57after being redirected from its original deployment plans.
01:01The carrier has conducted thousands of combat sorties
01:06and dropped massive amounts of ordnance during the conflict.
01:09But the extraordinary operational tempo has also raised concerns among sailors' families and lawmakers.
01:18Reports have described exhaustion, problems involving food and water,
01:23hot water and plumbing issues, mail delays, and concerns about access to mental health care.
01:30There have also been reports involving sailors going overboard,
01:34including allegations of suicide attempts or suicidal thoughts.
01:39The Pentagon and Navy have pushed back strongly against claims of a mental health crisis aboard the carrier.
01:46And Cooper offered his own assessment after speaking directly with sailors and officers.
01:52He said,
01:53The Lincoln currently has among the lowest numbers of reported mental health cases of the Navy's 11 active aircraft carriers.
02:02But he stressed that this does not mean everything is perfect.
02:06According to Cooper, extended periods at sea are uniquely difficult,
02:12and sailors respond differently to the stress of prolonged combat operations.
02:18He also praised the carrier's senior enlisted leadership for making mental health and crew resilience a priority.
02:25Cooper said some of the issues highlighted in recent reports were already known and had been addressed by the ship's
02:33leadership.
02:34The Navy has also announced that additional counselors and social workers are being sent to support the crew.
02:41Meanwhile, the Abraham Lincoln is finally preparing to head home.
02:47The carrier's deployment has lasted far longer than originally expected,
02:52with the ship spending months supporting operations in the Middle East.
02:56The USS George Washington is expected to take over the carrier presence as the Lincoln returns.
03:03For the sailors aboard the Lincoln, the mission may be nearing its end,
03:08but the controversy surrounding the deployment raises a bigger question.
03:13How long can America's most powerful warships keep operating at this tempo
03:19before the human cost becomes impossible to ignore?
03:23Admiral Cooper says the crew has delivered a performance worthy of enormous pride,
03:29but even he acknowledges one thing.
03:32All is not perfect.
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