Do sailors on the USS Abraham Lincoln carry guns?

Despite operating in hostile combat zones, the vast majority of the 5,000 sailors aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln do not carry firearms. Personal and combat weapons are strictly secured inside heavy shipboard armouries to prevent accidental discharges near aviation fuel lines and high-explosive ordnance.

Internal law enforcement and force protection are handled entirely by the Master-at-Arms rating. The USS Abraham Lincoln deploys a dedicated security department of roughly 88 highly trained personnel tasked with maintaining order, responding to active threats, and deterring crime.

When conducting daily patrols through the carrier's labyrinth of passageways, security personnel carry standard-issue 9mm sidearms. Depending on the specific armoury stock, these sailors are typically armed with the classic Beretta M9 or the newer SIG Sauer M18 pistol.

If the ship faces an immediate external threat or a severe internal breach, the security force drastically escalates its firepower. The ship's armoury rapidly issues 5.56mm M4 carbines and 12-gauge Mossberg 500 pump-action shotguns to designated reaction teams.

Carrying a lethal weapon aboard a floating nuclear city requires immense discipline. Security personnel undergo Security Reactionary Force-Bravo (SRF-B) training, which heavily focuses on hand-to-hand combat, non-lethal compliance techniques, and strict, measured rules of engagement.

Historically, dedicated United States Marine Corps detachments provided armed security and guarded nuclear assets aboard aircraft carriers. Following the official disbandment of carrier Marine detachments in 1998, Navy Masters-at-Arms fully absorbed these critical, highly sensitive security responsibilities.