"Multiple Suicide Attempts"... What Happened for 9 Months Off Iran's Coast

The "breaking point" faced by the crew of the nuclear-powered U.S. aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, stationed off the coast of Iran for nine months, is sparking a nationwide issue.

This is because it is by no means an isolated story, not only for the families of the Lincoln's crew members but also for U.S. service members and their families deployed around the world.

Amid unfavorable public opinion driven by the prolonged war with Iran, news surrounding the Lincoln is emerging as a political flashpoint ahead of the midterm elections.

Carrying 5,000 crew members, the Lincoln departed its homeport of San Diego on November 21 of last year.

It spent 208 consecutive days at sea, stopping briefly in Guam in December on its way to the Middle East before making a brief port call in Oman on July 7 of this year.

This is an unprecedented duration in modern naval history.

Initially scheduled to wrap up operations and return in May, its return has been delayed twice as the war dragged on.

As a result, concerns over plummeting morale, exhaustion, and mental health issues among the crew due to their prolonged stay at sea have begun to surface.

Eventually, last month, a sailor jumped overboard from the ship.

The exact reason for the jump has not been confirmed, but the sailor was wearing a life vest at the time and was rescued safely.

In a statement sent to CNN on the 13th (local time), the U.S. Navy drew a line, stating, "We have not observed an increase in suicidal thoughts or attempts within the ship," and maintained that the Lincoln's delayed return and the sailor's jump are unrelated. However, it appears there have been multiple other jump attempts on the Lincoln aside from this incident.

The U.S. military newspaper Stars and Stripes reported that sailors are "suffering from fatigue and plummeting morale, which includes reports of suicidal ideation and at least one instance where a crew member attempted to jump into the ocean and was restrained."

The U.S. military publication Navy Times reported an interview with the wife of a Lincoln sailor whose husband attempted to jump, as well as another case where a fellow sailor prevented a jump.

The prolonged stay at sea has made supply deliveries difficult, leading to a sharp decline in the living standards of the crew.

Because Iran blockaded the Strait of Hormuz, disruptions occurred in the delivery of supplies from the U.S. 5th Fleet base in Bahrain.

During a meeting held in San Diego on the 6th between Navy leadership and the families of the Lincoln crew, complaints poured out regarding crew burnout, shortages of supplies and food, contaminated water, and poor sanitation and ventilation facilities.

Representative Mike Levin (Democrat-California) stated that complaints were raised during the meeting regarding "moldy showers, broken toilets, weeks without hot water, and meals reduced to half a cup of rice and two tortillas."

Vice Admiral Douglas Verissimo explained to the crew's families that this was due to "a military logistics situation heavily contested [by Iran] and an extremely difficult and long supply line," adding, "Everyone is working together under extremely difficult circumstances."

As the issue of the Lincoln comes to the surface, the Democrats are shifting their aim toward Commander-in-Chief President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, setting the stage to bring the matter to Washington, D.C.

Representative Seth Moulton (Democrat-Massachusetts), a member of the House Armed Services Committee, pointed out the problem, citing "a president who has mocked service members experiencing mental health issues" and "a defense secretary more focused on testosterone testing than protecting the lives of service members," while pledging an investigation at the Armed Services Committee level.

Senator Richard Blumenthal (Democrat-Connecticut), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, sent a letter to Secretary Hegseth and the acting Navy secretary, urging responses regarding the living conditions aboard the Lincoln.

Secretary Hegseth refuted a series of reports claiming that the Lincoln's poor conditions or the crew's mental health faced serious issues as "completely misrepresented," Reuters reported.

Answering reporters' questions during a visit to Panama, Secretary Hegseth stated, "We are ensuring every ship, every crew, and every captain has everything we can possibly provide at every moment."

(Photo: Getty Images)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.