Did Multiple USS Abraham Lincoln Sailors Try to Jump Overboard?

U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Lake Fultz

Multiple sailors aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln have attempted to jump overboard in recent months, amid an extended deployment with no clear end date in sight, Military Times reports. With roughly 5,000 sailors and Marines in tow, the aircraft carrier has been at sea since November 21, 2025, to support military operations against Iran. Originally expected to return home in May, the deployment has been extended with no announced return date.

Last week, more than 200 family members met with Navy officials, including Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao, in San Diego to raise concerns about sailors’ mental health and exhaustion. Additional families joined a virtual meeting held later that same evening. “We hear you loud and clear (regarding) the impact this has on families, on service members and the long-term ability of us to stand, sustain our forces’ health,” said Vice Adm. Joseph Cahill on the virtual call, while also pointing to counselors, chaplains and Human Factors Councils aboard to monitor sailors’ well-being and determine any risk factors.

Still, the Navy hasn’t disclosed how many sailors have attempted to go overboard or practice self-harm aboard the Lincoln during this deployment. Families have also described difficulties with communication, compounding the strain. “I think they’ve had five weeks of non-stop combat operations or something like that, so that makes it really tough to communicate consistently or even know if we’ll be able to,” explained Shelby Sanders, a rising high school senior whose mother is on board. “It sucks,” she added.

One day after the first Military Times report, Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal from Connecticut, who sits on the Senate Armed Services Committee, wrote Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Navy Secretary Cao to demand answers about conditions aboard the aircraft carrier. In addition to details on who requested and authorized each deployment extension and why, Blumenthal demanded an accounting of the resolutions to a number of quality-of-life problems reported on the ship, including mold, broken toilets and laundry facilities, water shortages and missing hygiene supplies.

His letter further asks for specifics on how the Navy is monitoring fatigue, morale, mental health and crew readiness aboard the Lincoln, and whether commanding staff has noticed an uptick in safety incidents, medical issues, disciplinary incidents or other readiness indicators associated with sailors’ number of consecutive days at sea.

To date, while Navy officials acknowledge mail and supply disruptions, they have not provided a precise number of sailors who engaged in self-harm during the current deployment. They’ve denied reports suggesting an increase in mental health concerns for those currently on board.