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Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao is saluting the crew of the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier after lawmakers raised concerns about conditions during its long deployment — saying nobody died from a “small number” of mental health crises on board.
“The USS Abraham Lincoln crushed their deployment and will return home soon as part of a planned rotation. Details will come but let me be clear: the safety and security of our Sailors and Marines always comes first,” he posted on X. “Mission accomplishment. Troop Welfare. This is how we lead.”
He wrote that “a small number of mental health cases were treated with no loss of life” and that “meal plans were adjusted when fresh resupply was unavailable, without a single meal being missed.”
His letter follows reports of dire conditions on board for the 5,000 sailors and Marines. The Navy Times reported last week that at least two sailors had to be prevented from jumping overboard, prompting Pentagon pushback.
The ship’s deployment from San Diego began Nov. 21, 2025 — exceeding the standard 6-month stint.
President Trump shrugged off concerns Friday, telling reporters, “That ship is moving right now, or very shortly, and it’s being replaced with another very similar ship.” Asked if it was away from home too long while the US confronts Iran, Trump responded: “No, not nearly long enough.”
Cao defended the decision to keep the Lincoln at sea, saying “the mission demanded” an extended deployment.
“Deployments are hard. Combat operations make them harder. War is hell and normal routines are disrupted,” Cao, who retired from the Navy as a captain in 2021, wrote Friday.
He accused the media of “trying to paint our warriors as victims,” following reports of complaints by family of crew members and claimed it “takes away the focus on the enemy and the threat it poses against our nation, people, and way of life.”
The he rattled off some stats about the ship’s deployment, as the USS George Washington makes its way to the region — 266 days deployed, 200 in a combat zone, launching 10,000 sorties and dropping 1.5 million pounds of ordnance during the war with Iran that began in February.
“There is no question our young men and women have been pushed to their limits—but they have never broken,” he wrote.
Lawmakers have questioned whether the Navy can keep carriers deployed for such long stretches without taking a toll on sailors and fleet readiness.
“The Lincoln’s extended deployment raises broader questions about the Navy’s ability to sustainably generate carrier forces while preserving servicemember well-being, maintenance schedules, fleet readiness and the capacity to respond to future contingencies,” Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) wrote Cao and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth last week.
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