Burned-out US carrier sailors near Iran tried to jump overboard – Military Times

Sailors on a US aircraft carrier operating near Iran attempted to jump overboard amid exhaustion and low morale caused by extended operations, several news outlets have reported, citing crew members’ families.

Families have expressed concern over living conditions and mental health on the USS Abraham Lincoln, whose deployment began in late November and was expected to end in May but has since been extended indefinitely. The ship reportedly went long periods without regular port visits for replenishment, maintenance and rest.

Annabelle Loma told Military Times on Tuesday that the ship’s ombudsman had informed her that her husband had tried to jump off the carrier. “He thinks he’ll get a dishonorable discharge, and just because he was burnt out,” she said.

Maria Rodriguez, the wife of another sailor, said her husband had intervened in a separate incident, preventing a shipmate from going overboard.

According to Stars and Stripes, active-duty sailors and family members described a bleak atmosphere aboard the ship, detailing reports of suicidal thoughts and at least one case in which a crew member was prevented from jumping overboard.

“We’ve just been turning and burning the whole time we’ve deployed,” a sailor told the publication, noting that morale, which was high at the beginning of the deployment, had declined.