US Commander Visits Long-Deployed Carrier Amid Crew Welfare Concerns
Top US commander visits USS Lincoln after record deployment, praising crew while addressing mental health concerns.
Adm. Brad Cooper, the top US military commander in the Middle East, has concluded a regional tour that included a visit to the aircraft carrier USS Lincoln, where he met with sailors and addressed concerns about the vessel's extended deployment.
The carrier has been at sea for more than 240 consecutive days — a record for a US Navy vessel — and has been operating in support of the American campaign against Iran, including the blockade of Iranian ports.
During his visit, Cooper praised the crew's performance, saying in a statement that "history will record this deployment as one of the most operationally intense and consequential of the modern era."
He also acknowledged the strain of the long deployment, commending the carrier's leadership for prioritising mental health and resilience among the more than 5,000 sailors and Marines on board.
The USS Lincoln arrived in the Middle East in January, following heightened tensions that began on February 28 with US and Israeli strikes against Iran. The blockade is a response to Iran's assertion of control over the Strait of Hormuz, a waterway through which roughly one-fifth of the world's traded oil and natural gas previously passed.
Negotiations between Washington and Tehran have stalled, though Iran has been in talks with Oman regarding the management of the strait.