Centcom commander addresses mental health concerns for troops on USS Abraham Lincoln
The Hill · C · trust 56/100
Comments: by Ryan Mancini - 08/16/26 5:54 PM ET Comments: Link copied by Ryan Mancini - 08/16/26 5:54 PM ET Comments: Link copied NOW PLAYING U.S. Central Command (Centcom) commander Adm. Brad Cooper on Sunday addressed concerns about the mental health of service members aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln as the aircraft carrier returns home after being docked in the Middle East for more than 260 days.
Cooper called his visit to the ship on Saturday “awe-inspiring” in a statement , saying Americans would “beam with pride” over the work carried out while onboard.
“Here’s an important fact: 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 called it “challenging and tough” for all service members, and that even he “reacts to stressors in different ways.”
“I’ve long believed that mental health is another aspect of individual health and requires our attention just like physical health and spiritual health,” he continued. “I applaud Lincoln’s leadership –– the senior enlisted leaders in the Chief Petty Officers Mess in particular –– for stepping up and making mental health and crew resilience a leadership priority.”
Cooper visited the ship as part of a 10-day trip where he visited Bahrain, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
Recent reports from news outlets about the Lincoln garnered attention as they described poor conditions, including moldy showers and rotten food, with some sailors even attempting to jump off the aircraft carrier.
These reports prompted congressional Democrats to launch inquiries into the mental and physical states of crew members along with the federal government’s response .
Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao on Friday announced that the ship was returning home. The Lincoln’s deployment was initially intended to end in May before it was extended to its current tenure after Cao said the mission “demanded it.” The ship departed San Diego in November.
“Details will come but let me be clear: the safety and security of our Sailors and Marines always comes first,” Cao said in a statement . “Mission accomplishment. Troop Welfare. This is how we lead.”
The U.S. military, which has said the reports have been overblown or mischaracterized, is sending the USS George Washington to the Middle East in place of the Lincoln. Cao has accused media outlets of trying to paint “our warriors as victims.”
“Not only is that dishonest but it takes away the focus on the enemy and the threat it poses against our nation, people and way of life,” he said in the same statement.
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