Admiral Brad Cooper, head of US Central Command, praised the crew of the USS Abraham Lincoln after visiting the aircraft carrier on Saturday. In a statement shared on social media, Cooper said his time aboard the Lincoln was “awesome.” “I wish all Americans could see the crew in action,” he said. “You would be absolutely proud to witness their camaraderie, teamwork and resilience.” The Lincoln, which has about 5,000 service members, arrived in the Middle East in January and has been supporting the US war against Iran. It deployed in November 2025 to the Pacific before moving to the Middle East. He has spent a record uninterrupted time at sea of more than 240 days. U.S. military ships are typically deployed for about six months. In recent weeks, reports have emerged of mental health issues among the crew and supply issues on board. Cooper acknowledged the concerns in his statement, but said Lincoln has one of the lowest numbers of mental health-related cases of the U.S. Navy’s 11 active aircraft carriers. “This doesn’t mean everything is perfect,” he said. “Find any of the nearly 4 million Navy veterans in America today and they will likely tell you that serving at sea for long periods of time is not for everyone. It is exceptionally challenging and tough, and each of us, including myself, reacts to stressors in different ways.” Cooper applauded the actions of Lincoln leadership for “stepping up and making crew mental health and resiliency a leadership priority.” The USS George Washington aircraft carrier heads to the Middle East to relieve Lincoln. Asked Friday if he thought Lincoln’s deployment was too long, President Trump said it “wasn’t long enough.”
