The USS Abraham Lincoln has been at sea for nearly seven months, and its crew of about 5,000 personnel have been in the Arabian Sea, launching aircraft that have pounded Iran. The crew has been stationed in the Middle East since the beginning of this year in January.
According to Stars and Stripes, there are signs the operational tempo may be taking a toll on the sailors' physical and mental well-being after months of limited contact with their families and little respite from 24/7 operations.
One sailor wrote his family, "Our mental health and physical health is in danger. We need help." Other sailors have shared similar sentiments.
A spokesperson for U.S. Central Command said these service members are receiving the best resources, logistical support and care possible, citing that their well-being is a priority.
Kirk Lippold is a retired Navy Commander who commanded the USS Cole when it was attacked by terrorists in 2000.
"I think that you do get some breaks while you're at sea — picnics, stand-down time, other things — but you join the Navy to see the world. You need to get those breaks where people can get a little time off the ship and get some R&R,” Lippold says.
He warns the Navy, saying they better be very, very careful.
“I remember back in the 80s when we were routinely having deployments for nine months or so, and consequently, people just walked away, and the Navy had a big recruiting problem," Lippold says.
This is where the Europeans, he says, have got to start stepping up and realize that they too have an obligation for global commitments
"Because at the end of the day, the United States can't be the only country that does it. We've got to have a lot of our allies starting to step up,” says Lippold. “In the Pacific, we do have them. We do have Japan. We do, to a lesser degree, have South Korea and Australia helping us."
