The USS Abraham Lincoln is preparing to return home after an extended deployment in the Middle East, but there is still disagreement over whether problems reported aboard the carrier have actually been addressed.
U.S. Central Command chief Adm. Brad Cooper visited the Lincoln on Saturday after reports of food and supply shortages, water and plumbing problems, low morale and mental health concerns.
The Lincoln left San Diego in November and was initially expected to return in May. Its deployment was extended while the carrier supported U.S. operations in the war with Iran.
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Cooper says problems were fixed
Cooper said problems involving food and hot water were reported months ago and have since been addressed by the ship’s leadership.
On mental health, he said the Lincoln currently has “among the lowest number of cases” among the Navy’s 11 active aircraft carriers.
Still, Cooper acknowledged the strain that comes with keeping sailors at sea for months.
“This doesn’t mean that all is perfect,” Cooper said in a statement. “Find any of the nearly 4 million Navy veterans in America today and they will likely tell you that service at sea for long periods isn’t for everyone.”
Gallego says problems are still happening
Democratic Sen. Ruben Gallego, a former Marine, says he recently spoke with the spouse of a Lincoln sailor who told him some of the problems are continuing.
“I was just speaking to a spouse just about three days ago and this is the current problems right now,” Gallego told ABC’s “This Week.”
Gallego tied the problems aboard the Lincoln to what he called the Trump administration’s failure to plan for the war with Iran.
“This administration did not plan for this war, did not plan how to get out of this war, did not really understand how this war was going to escalate,” he said. “They were basically trying and hoping this war would end up just like the war in Venezuela.”
Democrats have called for an investigation into conditions aboard the Lincoln. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has called recent reports “completely misrepresented.”
Mullen says both accounts have merit
Retired Adm. Mike Mullen, the former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told ABC’s “This Week” Sunday that he spoke with Cooper after Saturday’s visit.
“He told me many of these problems were early in the deployment and they were solved,” Mullen said. “But these are morale issues on a ship, which you really have to focus on.”
Cooper told the crew Saturday that they would be going home, according to Mullen, who said morale improved significantly after the announcement.
Lincoln heads home, Washington takes over
The Lincoln is now set to return home after nearly nine months away, although no date has been announced for its arrival back in San Diego.
The USS George Washington left its station in the Pacific last week and is expected to replace the Lincoln in the Middle East.