The USS Abraham Lincoln has spent nearly nine months at sea without a significant port visit, with reports of poor conditions, low morale and worsening mental health among its roughly 5,000 sailors leading to multiple attempted overboard incidents. The Navy disputes claims of worsening conditions and says it hasn't seen an increase in suicidal ideation, while the military is reportedly preparing to replace the carrier with the USS George Washington.

“Deployments of this length put a great deal of pressure on the ship and its crew, with long-term impact on personnel, sustainment of the ship and the turnaround cycle for future deployments,” Vice Adm. Robert Murrett (Ret.), professor of practice of public administration and international affairs, tells Newsweek.

In an interview with the Guardian, Murrett says that a typical aircraft-carrier deployment is closer to six months and normally includes port visits that allow sailors to rest and spend some time away from the ship. The Lincoln, he says, “has had none of that since they left San Diego last November.”

“They’ve been under way for that very, very long period of time, approaching nine months, and they’ve also been under combat conditions for much [of it] because of their time in the Middle East. That’s very, very tough on a crew,” says Murrett.