NEW YORK, August 17. /TASS/. US Central Command head Admiral Brad Cooper acknowledged the fatigue of the USS Abraham Lincoln crew after visiting the aircraft carrier, which was scheduled to return to the US in May.
"The crew is tired, but they continue to fire on all cylinders," he wrote in a column for The Wall Street Journal.
Cooper stressed that the issues aboard the aircraft carrier that were previously reported in the media have already been resolved. "Recent media reporting has portrayed varying perspectives on operational tempo, crew morale and the realities facing our deployed forces. What I found aboard the Lincoln is that many elements of those stories are old news," the US CENTCOM chief pointed out. "Issues related to food, hot water and other concerns raised months ago were addressed by leadership and resolved," Cooper noted.
On Friday, US President Donald Trump confirmed the return of the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln from the Middle East as part of a scheduled rotation of forces. At the same time, he rejected claims that the carrier’s mission had dragged on too long.
The Military Times previously reported that several servicemen aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln had attempted suicide. Excessive stress, exhaustion, and depression were among the causes of the sailors’ emotional instability. According to the newspaper, the aircraft carrier, which has a crew of 5,000, began its deployment in late November 2025. Its mission included supporting US military operations in the Middle East. The crew has been at sea for over 260 days, 150 of which were spent in a combat zone.