USS Abraham Lincoln sailors tried to jump from the warship, families say. Here's why

Several sailors on board the USS Abraham Lincoln have tried to jump from the ship in recent weeks, reports suggest. According to a report by Military Times, the extended deployment has wreaked havoc with the mental health of those on the ship, leading some of them to take the extreme step. More than 5,000 sailors and Marines have been deployed on the Abraham Lincoln since November last year. It was supposed to end in May, but the vessel has been supporting America's military actions in the Middle East.

A woman named Annabelle Loma told the outlet that she received a call that her husband tried to go overboard the ship. She says his deployment was repeatedly overextended, after which he took the extreme step. He is now on medical hold, and she hasn't heard from the Navy since then.

In another incident, a sailor stopped a shipmate from going overboard, his wife Maria Rodriguez said. The woman said that her husband saw the man preparing to jump, but called out to him in time and pulled him back onto the deck. He had luckily not gone to the other side. Three others heard the noise and reached the site. "He was just so thankful he was able to get to [the sailor] in time, to stop them from going overboard," Rodriguez said.

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A report by Stars and Stripes on Tuesday mentioned a similar incident about a crew member who was about to jump overboard. Bystanders saved the man, and the entire crew was told about it via an announcement.

Families speak about mental health issues of sailors aboard USS Abraham Lincoln

Sailors on board the USS Abraham Lincoln are facing mental health issues because of the extended deployment. More than 200 people from their families recently met with acting Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao in San Diego to discuss the matter. Cao told them that the Navy is preparing the USS Theodore Roosevelt carrier strike group to relieve Lincoln.

They also raised concerns about sailors’ mental health, exhaustion and safety, in a virtual meeting. Vice Adm. Joseph Cahill, commander of Naval Surface Forces, admitted that the extended deployment was affecting the health of the sailors.

“We hear you loud and clear [regarding] the impact this has on families, on service members and the long-term ability of us to stand, sustain our forces’ health,” Cahill said, as per MS NOW. He assured the families that deployment-resilience counsellors and chaplains, and Human Factors Councils on board warships, review and check on anything afflicting the sailors and identify risks.

The Navy has not revealed the exact number of sailors who tried to go overboard the ship.