A 19-year-old sailor from the USS Abraham Lincoln is facing non-judicial punishment after jumping overboard in an apparent suicide attempt earlier this month. The sailor, who is married and has two children, reportedly experienced a mental health crisis due to deteriorating living conditions aboard the ship, which has been deployed for over 250 consecutive days amid the Iran war. According to charging documents reviewed by MS NOW, the sailor is accused of violating military code by 'intentionally faking an illness or hurting themselves to avoid work, duty or service' and failing to report to his required place of duty during the crisis.
The sailor's wife stated that he had repeatedly requested paternity leave to meet his newborn daughter but was denied. After going overboard on August 3, he was rescued and medically evacuated, returning to San Diego 10 days later. Following his release from the Naval Medical Center San Diego, he was ordered back to work immediately and did not receive his first therapy session until nearly two weeks later.
Reports indicate that sailors aboard the Lincoln have faced issues such as moldy showers, broken toilets, food shortages, and long stretches without hot water. In response to public outcry, the Navy is sending additional counselors and social workers to the Lincoln and has scheduled a rest-and-recovery stop in Thailand for the crew. The USS George Washington has also been dispatched from Japan to take over the Lincoln's mission in the Middle East. Both President Trump and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth have denied reports of severe conditions aboard the Lincoln, with Hegseth calling them 'completely misrepresented.' A bipartisan group of Congressional lawmakers has called for greater oversight and transparency regarding the living conditions on the carrier.