{"id":435082,"date":"2026-08-17T07:12:23","date_gmt":"2026-08-17T07:12:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/435082\/"},"modified":"2026-08-17T07:12:23","modified_gmt":"2026-08-17T07:12:23","slug":"uss-abraham-lincoln-crew-faces-fatigue-after-months-at-sea-nbc-7-san-diego","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/435082\/","title":{"rendered":"USS Abraham Lincoln crew faces fatigue after months at sea \u2013 NBC 7 San Diego"},"content":{"rendered":"

San Diego-based USS Abraham Lincoln may soon be relieved after nearly nine months at sea<\/a>, as sailors and their families describe mounting fatigue, uncertainty and difficult conditions aboard the aircraft carrier<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Lincoln has roughly 5,000 service members who have been an integral part of military operations since the start of the war against Iran on Feb. 28.\u00a0<\/p>\n

An active-duty Navy sailor who served aboard the Lincoln from its Nov. 21 deployment until last month, when his one-year orders were up, described to NBC 7 how the uncertainty about when the crew would return home impacted the crew. He asked to remain anonymous.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think the big theme here is uncertainty,\u201d he said, \u201cand that\u2019s kind of, really, what makes this really difficult.\u201d<\/p>\n

The sailor said he was able to leave because his orders ran from July to July. He said he now feels immense guilt over returning home while so many others remain aboard the ship.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt one point, whatever it is we\u2019re doing out there in Iran, at first it was Operation Epic Fury, then it got the name changed to the blockade ops, and we were blockading their blockade. Eventually the nickname \u2018operation someday\u2019 came about,\u201d he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

He described that nickname, which came after the news of their extension, as a turning point.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think for me, personally, that was kind of that turning point of, \u2018oh my God. This is never going to end.”\u00a0<\/p>\n

USS Abraham Lincoln Sailor<\/p>\n

The wife of an officer who has served for 20 years and is now aboard the Lincoln also described the toll of not knowing when the deployment will end. She said she could recall only one of her husband’s previous deployments being extended, and that extension lasted just a few weeks with a return date still planned.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s all these sailors and families want. We just want a date on the calendar. We need something to look forward to and we don\u2019t have that. That\u2019s just what\u2019s maddening for everybody. There\u2019s no plan,\u201d she told NBC 7. She also asked to remain anonymous.\u00a0<\/p>\n

More than a dozen sailors, family members and close friends of sailors described difficult conditions aboard the Lincoln to NBC 7, including reports of food shortages, limited water for showers, shortages of basic hygiene products and slow mail service, among other things.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Those concerns have also become part of discussions in Washington, where members of Congress are pressing for more transparency about conditions aboard the carrier. Mike Levin, the U.S. Representative for California\u2019s 49th district that encompasses Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, penned a letter to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao along with the other members of San Diego\u2019s delegation including Representatives Sara Jacobs, who is on the House Armed Services Committee, Scott Peters and Juan Vargas. There are also calls for a bipartisan oversight visit to the ship.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Today, I am sending a letter to Secretary Hegseth and Acting Secretary of the Navy Cao demanding answers about what is going on aboard the USS Lincoln and plans to rectify these issues. I\u2019m proud to lead the San Diego delegation on this letter, as we represent one of the largest\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/gaGldR0YEE<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Rep. Mike Levin (@RepMikeLevin) August 13, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

The fianc\u00e9e of one Lincoln sailor shared photos and messages with NBC 7 detailing his experience. She said he left for their deployment in November and told her that, within a month of the start of Operation Epic Fury, he had lost nearly 50 pounds amid a lack of calories.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen everything first started, he was working 18-hour shifts and he only had six hours to get some sleep or to eat and sometimes by the time he got to the food, there was nothing left,\u201d she said. She also asked to remain anonymous.\u00a0<\/p>\n

She said multiple packages she sent took months to arrive, including one containing basic items such as deodorant and toothpaste that her fianc\u00e9 told her were no longer available in the ship’s store.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

A message shared with NBC 7 sent from a USS Abraham Lincoln sailor to his fianc\u00e9e. March 2026. <\/p>\n

She also shared a message he sent in March after they had been unable to communicate for about a month. He wrote, \u201cToday isn\u2019t really a good day mentally. I\u2019m exhausted. I\u2019m tired of this place. I\u2019m tired of the people. I\u2019m tired of the operation.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Lincoln sailor who NBC 7 spoke to directly said dining options on the ship varied by which food hall they would eat at, along with rank, and timing. He said some days it would be good, with options, others it would be bad. He said the hygiene supplies he had access to along with restroom and shower access was similar.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Above all else, the worst part, he said, was not knowing when they were coming home.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

USS George Washington is expected to relieve the Lincoln. The Pacific-based aircraft carrier has already begun heading toward the Middle East, a Navy statement said.<\/p>\n

This story was originally reported for broadcast by NBC San Diego. AI tools helped convert the story to a digital article, and an NBC San Diego journalist edited the article for publication.<\/p>\n

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