ENTCOM chief visits USS Abraham Lincoln for the second time amid concerns about morale

US Central Command Chief Adm. Brad Cooper visited the USS Abraham Lincoln as part of a recent trip to the Middle East that comes amid rising concerns over the mental health of crew members due to the ship’s long deployment.

“History will record this deployment as one of the most operationally intense and consequential of the modern era,” Cooper said of the aircraft carrier in a Saturday statement released by the US military.

Cooper also thanked the Lincoln crew for their “tremendous dedication and courage,” the statement added.

The aircraft carrier reached the Middle East in January and has since supported the US war against Iran including the blockade on Iranian ports. Its combat efforts have prevented it from making stops at friendly ports, where deployed vessels can typically renew supplies and sailors can rest.

The US Navy has increasingly had its aircraft carrier groups exceed the service’s recommended deployment duration of seven months, according to a CNN analysis of deployment announcements and the USNI News fleet tracker.

Reports from the Lincoln of low morale have worried families at home who question why action has not been taken sooner.

Cooper’s visit aboard the Lincoln was his second of the year, having previously visited the aircraft carrier in February with US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and the president’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner.

The commander’s latest visit came during a 10-day trip to the Middle East where he met with senior civilian and military leaders in Bahrain, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.

-CNN