An F-35C Lightning II prepares to launch from the flight deck of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln in 2018. Naval officials announced Friday the warship is ending its record-breaking deployment following reports of the deteriorating mental health of its crew. U.S. Navy File Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Brian M. Wilbur
Aug. 14 (UPI) -- The aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln is returning home after a lengthy, record-breaking deployment which some crew members' families said caused their loved ones to attempt suicide, Navy officials announced Friday.
The vessel will be replaced in the Middle East by another aircraft carrier, President Donald Trump later told reporters, while dismissing concerns over the mental well-being of its sailors and Marines during its 266-day deployment.
The USS Abraham Lincoln "crushed their deployment and will return home soon as part of a planned rotation," acting Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao said in a social media statement. "Details will come but let me be clear: the safety and security of our Sailors and Marines always comes first."
The Lincoln's time at sea "was extended because the mission demanded it. Deployments are hard," he added, while criticizing what he called a "dishonest" portrayal of the crew's health situation by media allegedly attempting to "paint our warriors as victims."
