USS Abraham Lincoln ‘not experiencing an uptick in mental health issues’: US official
A U.S. official told Fox News on Saturday that “We are not experiencing an uptick in mental health issues” aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln and there are “religious, medical and mental health professionals available to assess and address concerns as they arise” among Sailors and Marines.
The remark comes following reports this week claiming a decline in morale and conditions onboard the aircraft carrier, which has spent more than 260 days at sea during its deployment, in support of the U.S. war against Iran.
“We have not observed an increase in suicidal ideations or attempts aboard the ship,” the U.S. official told Fox News.
“USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) has five Navy Chaplains, one clinical psychologist, one clinical social worker, three behavioral health technicians and an embedded integrated prevention coordination (EIPC) counselor. The ship also has an expeditionary facility dog, CAPT Fathom, to support crew morale and emotional welfare,” the official continued. “These resources are available to Sailors and Marines throughout the Strike Group 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.”
“Sailors go through normal transitions throughout a deployment cycle. Adapting to life at sea can be difficult, so we’ve learned how to provide resources and help Sailors with these transitions. We are not experiencing an uptick in mental health issues aboard Abraham Lincoln,” the official added.
The official also said the USS Abraham Lincoln is “operating in a highly contested environment where traditional supply hubs in the Middle East were disrupted by combat actions.”
“In response, leadership prioritized mission-critical supplies: first food, then hygiene items, then mail. Current reports from the ship confirm continuous access to clean water, functional AC, and healthy meal options,” the official said.
Fox News’ Liz Friden contributed to this post.
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