Crew plagued by fatigue, low morale and mental health concerns

Navy says port call is for rest, resupply — not training or joint operations

The USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier [AP]
The USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier [AP]

The USS Abraham Lincoln, a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier at the center of a crew exhaustion controversy following an extended deployment, will make a port call in Thailand next week as it heads home.

The Lincoln is scheduled to dock in Thailand next week along with two other vessels from its carrier strike group, according to Reuters and Thai outlets including the Bangkok Post and The Nation on Wednesday (local time).

Thailand's navy spokesperson said in a statement that the visit was "a routine port call to give personnel an opportunity to rest and recharge, and to receive logistical support."

The spokesperson added that the visit was not for training or joint military operations with the Thai navy and was unrelated to any specific country or situation.

The Thai navy did not disclose the names of the vessels, the exact schedule or the port of call, citing security reasons. However, US aircraft carriers have typically docked at Sattahip port in the central province of Chonburi, which is adjacent to the popular tourist destination Pattaya.

The Lincoln, carrying a crew of about 5,000, departed its home port of San Diego, California, in late November last year. After a brief stop in Guam in December, it spent 208 consecutive days at sea before making a short call in Oman on July 7 this year.

US media described the deployment as an unprecedented stretch at sea in modern naval history.

Iranian missile and drone strikes inflicted serious damage on the US naval base in Bahrain, and access to ports across several Middle Eastern countries became difficult, leaving the Lincoln's crew with little opportunity to go ashore and rest for an extended period.

Resupply operations also came to depend heavily on the base at Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean, roughly 3,540 kilometers from the crew's operating area in the Gulf of Oman, leading to severe shortages of supplies.

Reports emerged of crew members suffering from extreme fatigue and low morale, with multiple suicide attempts raising serious concerns about mental health aboard the ship.

As the controversy grew, the Lincoln ultimately ended its mission on Thursday and set course for its home port of San Diego.

However, the USS George Washington, the carrier assigned to the Pacific, has moved to the Middle East to relieve the Lincoln, leaving the Asia-Pacific region without a US carrier and raising concerns that Washington's security commitments in Asia may be weakening.

If you're thinking about self-harm or suicide, dial the Suicide Prevention Hotline at 109, available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Please request a translator for English-language services.


mokiya@heraldcorp.com