--- title: "Head of Central Command visits USS Abraham Lincoln amid quality of life concerns" description: "Adm. Brad Cooper met with sailors and Marines on the carrier amid quality of life concerns from family members over poor conditions." date: "2026-08-15" modified: "2026-08-15" authors: - name: "Nicholas Slayton" job_title: "Contributing Editor" link: "https://taskandpurpose.com/authors/nicholas-slayton.md" url: "https://taskandpurpose.com/news/centcom-brad-cooper-uss-abraham-lincoln/" categories: - "Around the World" - "Carriers" - "Iran" - "Middle East" - "Military Branches" - "Navy" - "News" - "Ships" - "Tech & Tactics" tags: - "central command" --- # Head of Central Command visits USS Abraham Lincoln amid quality of life concerns ![Adm. Brad Cooper speaks with sailors and Marines on the USS Abraham Lincoln on Aug. 15, 2026.]() *Adm. Brad Cooper speaks with sailors and Marines on the USS Abraham Lincoln on Aug. 15, 2026. Screenshot via CENTCOM on X.* The top officer for U.S. Central Command visited the [USS Abraham Lincoln]() on Saturday, as families of sailors onboard continue to report poor conditions and low morale. Adm. Brad Cooper’s visit to the Lincoln was part of a 10-day tour in the region, meeting with troops and commanders, as well as allies in the Middle East. He spent several hours on the ship, according to a CENTCOM spokesperson, the one ship he visited during the tour. The stop on the Lincoln, which happened midday Saturday per dates shown in video on the ship, came days after [several reports]() from the families of sailors and Marines of food shortages, water issues, broken showers and laundry, and other issues. Family members say that morale is low after months at sea and the crew’s mental health is strained. Both [Military Times]() and [Stars and Stripes]() reported cases of sailors attempting to jump overboard. The Lincoln is on its ninth month deployed, having left port in late November 2025. Originally deployed to the Pacific region, it was ordered to the Middle East at the start of the year. Its last port visit was a two-day stop in Guam. It has spent more than 250 days away from home and all of 2026 so far at sea. The ship has taken part in combat operations against Iran since the start of the [war]() on Feb. 28 and helped enforce the American blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. Cooper’s arrival came a day after the military confirmed that the USS Abraham Lincoln would return home soon, with the USS George Washington deploying to replace it. In a statement on Friday, Aug. 14, Acting Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao called some media reports about the ship "dishonest" but did say that "a small number of mental health cases were treated" aboard the ship. His statement was the [highest-level acknowledgement]() of mental health incidents onboard the Lincoln. This past week, the Pentagon and White House pushed back on reports about the situation onboard the Lincoln, with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth saying conditions on the carrier had been "completely misrepresented." Separately, the Navy [said]() in a statement to Task & Purpose that it is sending "additional resiliency counselors and social workers to augment" support services onboard the ship. Cooper previously visited the USS Abraham Lincoln in February, prior to the start of the war. His new visit lasted several hours and involved an address to "the entire Lincoln team" where he thanked them. A day later, Cooper discussed his meeting the Lincoln’s crew in an [opinion piece]() in the Wall Street Journal. He said that the crew is “tired, but they continue to fire on all cylinders.” Cooper also addressed reports of poor morale, and said that “many elements of those stories are old news.” “Issues related to food, hot water and other concerns raised months ago were addressed by leadership and resolved,” he wrote. Video shared by CENTCOM shows Cooper meeting with a number of crew members, including members from Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 14 and Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 314, both assigned to the carrier as part of Carrier Air Wing 9. During his visit, Cooper also presented awards to some service members. Cooper's 10-day trip included stops in Israel, Iraq, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. ***Update: 8/16/2026;** This article was updated to include information from Cooper's Wall Street Journal remarks.* ## Author Nicholas Slayton is a contributing editor for Task & Purpose, covering conflict for over 12 years, from the Arab Spring to the war in Ukraine. His previous reporting can be found on the non-profit Aslan Media, The Atlantic, Al Jazeera, The New Republic, The American Prospect, Architectural Digest, The Daily Beast, and the Los Angeles Downtown News. You can reach him at nicholas@taskandpurpose.com or find him on Twitter @NSlayton and Bluesky at @nslayton.bsky.social. ### Author social links [Twitter]() ## More - [Sailors on the USS Abraham Lincoln reportedly dealing with poor conditions, weak morale, families say]() - [Navy sending more mental health help to the USS Abraham Lincoln crew]() - [Sailors on the USS Abraham Lincoln scrawl their names on bombs headed to Iran]() - [Navy to swap USS Abraham Lincoln for George Washington in the Middle East]() - [Navy denies reports of deteriorating mental health aboard USS Abraham Lincoln]() - [Navy declares missing USS Abraham Lincoln sailor dead]() - [Navy investigating fire that injured 9 sailors on the USS Abraham Lincoln]() - [USS Abraham Lincoln sailor could be disciplined for jumping overboard]()