U.S. Central Command is pushing back against what it called “rampant misreporting” surrounding conditions aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln, rejecting several claims about sailors serving aboard the aircraft carrier during its extended Middle East deployment.
The Nimitz-class nuclear-powered aircraft carrier has been stationed in the Arabian Sea in support of the war in Iran, carrying more than 5,000 sailors and Marines during a mission that has kept the crew at sea for more than 250 days.
Reports about conditions aboard the Lincoln have raised concerns, with sailors reportedly telling family members about rotten food, shortages of hygiene products, clogged toilets and mold or mildew in showers. One sailor also reportedly went overboard during the deployment.
CENTCOM fired back late Thursday on X, posting images of six headlines and disputing several claims circulating about the carrier, including an apparently debunked report from Iranian media alleging seven sailors died during a brawl aboard the ship.
“Over the past 48 hours, multiple media outlets have reported several false claims related to USS Abraham Lincoln’s (CVN 72) deployment to the Middle East,” CENTCOM said.
The command specifically rejected claims that seven sailors were killed in a fight and reports suggesting there had been an increase in suicidal ideation among crew members.
“These reports are FALSE,” CENTCOM declared.
CENTCOM pointed to the Lincoln’s 84.4% crew reenlistment rate, which it said was among the highest of all aircraft carriers in the U.S. Navy.
The command also said sailors and Marines aboard the Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group remained “resilient and resolved” following more than 260 days at sea.
During that time, according to CENTCOM, the group has conducted 10,000 aircraft flights and expended 1.5 million pounds of ordnance.
“No service members aboard the aircraft carrier have died, and the one Sailor who fell overboard Aug. 3 was quickly and safely recovered,” CENTCOM said.
“The rampant misreporting on Abraham Lincoln’s historic deployment is a disservice to our men and women in uniform and their loved ones,” the command added.
There is no credible evidence supporting the claim that seven sailors died in a brawl aboard the carrier, according to Snopes. The Navy has also denied that there has been an increase in suicidal ideation among Lincoln sailors.
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth also pushed back Thursday against reports about conditions aboard the ship, saying they had been “completely misrepresented.”
The Lincoln departed its home base in San Diego on Nov. 21, and its deployment has been extended at least once.
The controversy comes as President Donald Trump has separately ordered the Navy to make major technical changes to new aircraft carriers, including a return to steam catapult jet launchers. Experts have said those changes could potentially cost billions of dollars.
[READ MORE: Trump Makes Major Changes To Aircraft Carriers]
