USS Lincoln leaders making mental health ‘a priority’ during long deployment: US commander

Family members have said the situation has deteriorated so badly that some sailors have tried to throw themselves overboard

Admiral Brad Cooper’s visit to the carrier in the Arabian Sea followed outrage among family members about reports of food shortages, water contamination, mouldy showers and long shifts in wartime aboard the vessel, which has been deployed without a port call for more than 200 days.

Some family members have said the situation has deteriorated so badly that some sailors have attempted to throw themselves overboard.

Cooper called his visit “awe-inspiring” and hailed the crew’s “resilience”.

“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 said in his statement after visiting the carrier.