# USS Abraham Lincoln **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [August 15, 2026, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uss-abraham-lincoln/1032359 "2026-08-15T21:31:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![Dorjan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dorjan/32/12440_2.png) [@Dorjan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dorjan)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2026, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uss-abraham-lincoln/1032359/121 "2026-08-17T17:50:25Z")
The port itself may be operational, but it is still on the wrong side of the Strait of Hormuz. Despite Chump’s blustering and claims, the US does not control it, traffic through is still essentially nil, and the navy isn’t going to rely on supply ships getting in and out of it unscathed. ---
**Author:** ![Dorjan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dorjan/32/12440_2.png) [@Dorjan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dorjan)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2026, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uss-abraham-lincoln/1032359/122 "2026-08-17T17:55:10Z")
The USN has used the Port of Duqm in the past as a logistics and maintenance hub. It doesn’t look like it is being utilized for Epic Fury and the Blockade. President Chump recently threatening to bomb Oman is evidence of deteriorating relations between Oman and the US, which probably has something to do with it. ---
**Author:** ![slash2k](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@slash2k](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slash2k)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2026, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uss-abraham-lincoln/1032359/123 "2026-08-17T17:57:56Z")
On a tangentially related note, a destroyer in the George Washington Carrier Strike Force now heading to relieve the Lincoln had its own problems recently: > A US Navy guided-missile destroyer spent four days without without working toilets, galley services, air conditioning and some potable-water facilities after an engineering failure knocked out power aboard the ship in the South China Sea last month > > – [Us Navy Destroyer: US Navy destroyer spent four days without toilets, AC, galley after power failure in South China Sea - The Times of India](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/us-navy-destroyer-spent-four-days-without-toilets-ac-galley-after-power-failure-in-south-china-sea/articleshow/133293574.cms) Link is to Times of India, but the original reporting is from CNN (to which I do not have a subscription–if you do, see [https://www.cnn.com/2026/08/17/asia/us-destroyer-benfold-loses-power-intl-hnk-ml](https://www.cnn.com/2026/08/17/asia/us-destroyer-benfold-loses-power-intl-hnk-ml)). ---
**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2026, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uss-abraham-lincoln/1032359/124 "2026-08-17T17:59:00Z")
I have a friend whose husband is a chaplain in the United States Navy and, rather than commenting or focusing on things like supplies, perceived the main problem being the psychological effects of an unexpected long term deployment in an isolated environment. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2026, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uss-abraham-lincoln/1032359/125 "2026-08-17T18:05:14Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > It was. > > I’ve always been in awe of the engineering and logistical capabilities of the U.S. military. If they didn’t rebuilt and restock the destroyed depot within a week, there has to be a reason for it, and I’m curious to know what it is. For what it’s worth, “Then build a new one!” didn’t come across as a question, but rather as an exasperated bit of advice a la HL Mencken–that is, a solution that is “neat, plausible, and wrong.” It did not at all come across to me as it would have if you had said, “I have tremendous respect for the logistical capabilities of the US military. The fact that they haven’t rebuilt and restocked the destroyed depot gives me pause, and I’m curious to know what makes this project harder than it seems to me like it would be.” ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2026, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uss-abraham-lincoln/1032359/126 "2026-08-17T18:17:19Z")
Those who are suggesting nearby ports are forgetting that allowing our ships into them makes them a target. Even a very friendly nation - of which few remain - would be loathe to have us enter and draw fire to their infrastructure. Camp Lemonnier (Djibouti) has been periodically off-limits to our own embassy staff for well over a year now, due to Houthi threats. Also, I’m not well familiar with it, but I think it’s a Naval Air Station. Does it even have a dock or repair facilities? ---
**Author:** ![DWMarch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dwmarch/32/1010_2.png) [@DWMarch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DWMarch)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2026, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uss-abraham-lincoln/1032359/127 "2026-08-17T18:58:59Z")
I have to call out the weasel wording from the CENTCOM chief as quoted in this article: > **[What’s happening on the USS Abraham Lincoln? Navy sends replacement aircraft...](https://www.yahoo.com/news/us/article/centcom-chief-defends-uss-lincoln-conditions-amid-concerns-over-record-deployment-174631501.html)** > > The visit is the latest flashpoint in a growing political fight over the ship's unprecedented deployment, amid mounting reports of supply shortages and attempted overboard incidents among its roughly ... From the article: > U.S. Central Command chief Adm. Brad Cooper said the Lincoln’s crew was “awe-inspiring,” and the ship “currently has among the lowest number of cases related to mental health.” The lowest number of _cases_? Because that’s the first thing a sailor does when they are having mental health issues, right? They go and _open a case_? And there’s no stigma associated with that, right? Nobody who might think that going to whatever mental health support is available and telling them that one was contemplating jumping off the deck might be bad for one’s career? In the case of this vessel and probably a number of others, a low number of mental health cases means you are handling the problem _badly_. It means people who need help are not accessing it. It means they would rather try to tough it out (or abandon ship) than seek help. Awe-inspiring indeed, but not in the way the Admiral thinks. ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2026, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uss-abraham-lincoln/1032359/128 "2026-08-17T19:09:11Z")
And yet the highest number of sailors trying to leap over the rail. ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2026, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uss-abraham-lincoln/1032359/129 "2026-08-17T19:14:03Z")
> [@enipla](#): > > Right, I got km/h and mph switched around. I did the same thing when I went to Wiki. Km, Kt same thing, right? > [@DWMarch](#): > > The lowest number of _cases_? Because that’s the first thing a sailor does when they are having mental health issues, right? It’s like in 2020 when the administration stopped collecting data on Covid cases because a case uncounted doesn’t exist, right? ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2026, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uss-abraham-lincoln/1032359/130 "2026-08-17T19:17:51Z")
You didn’t even come close to plumbing the depths of the weasel-wordery, there. Also “among the lowest”: The how many lowest? Like, is it one of the 11 lowest among USN carriers? And “lowest” means lower than something else… Does that mean that it’s lower than the number of mental health cases on this carrier, or does it mean that the number of mental health cases on this carrier is lower than the number of other medical cases (like malnutrition and mold poisoning) on this carrier? ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2026, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uss-abraham-lincoln/1032359/131 "2026-08-17T19:24:58Z")
I saw an [article in Military Times](https://www.militarytimes.com/news/your-military/2026/08/11/multiple-uss-abraham-lincoln-sailors-have-tried-to-go-overboard-amid-extended-deployment-families-say/) that quoted the wife of a sailor on the ship who tried to go overboard. > “He’s scared,” Loma said. “He thinks he’ll get a dishonorable discharge, and just because he was burnt out, his 13-year career is ruined, just like that. That’s not fair, that’s not right. That’s not what he should be worrying about right now.” ---
**Author:** ![DavidNRockies](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidnrockies/32/6279_2.png) [@DavidNRockies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidNRockies)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2026, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uss-abraham-lincoln/1032359/132 "2026-08-17T20:10:12Z")
Everything is ship shape. We’ve got them _right where we want them:_ > **[US Navy destroyer adrift in South China Sea for four days after losing power](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/aug/17/us-navy-destroyer-south-china-sea)** > > USS Benfold lost power after ‘engineering casualty’ leaving sailors without galley services, toilets and air conditioning > A US guided-missile destroyer reportedly spent four days adrift and without power in the South China Sea in July, furthering concerns about strain being placed on deployed military members. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2026, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uss-abraham-lincoln/1032359/133 "2026-08-17T23:59:04Z")
“Navy: It’s not just a job, it’s an adventure!” Y’know, the infantry can at least go out into the bushes with an entrenching tool to take care of personal business, and maybe even do some foraging, depending on where in the world they are. ---
**Author:** ![keeganst94](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/a6a055/32.png) [@keeganst94](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/keeganst94)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2026, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uss-abraham-lincoln/1032359/134 "2026-08-18T01:55:57Z")
I mean, the edge of the ship is _right there._ And there’s plenty of fish to catch. Just make sure to catch the fish first. ---
**Author:** ![robby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robby/32/11048_2.png) [@robby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robby)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2026, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uss-abraham-lincoln/1032359/135 "2026-08-18T02:10:24Z")
> [@keeganst94](#): > > I mean, the edge of the ship is _right there._ And there’s plenty of fish to catch. Just make sure to catch the fish first. I’m sure this is tongue in cheek, but regardless, not in the open ocean where aircraft carriers typically operate. The open ocean far from shore (known as the pelagic zone) is actually pretty sparse in nutrients and often referred to as a “marine desert” due to the relative scarcity of fish (and other sea life). Also, the flight deck is 55-60 feet above the water line, and the hangar bay elevators are about 30 feet above the water. So not particularly easy to fish, especially if the carrier is moving quickly. ---
**Author:** ![DWMarch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dwmarch/32/1010_2.png) [@DWMarch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DWMarch)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2026, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uss-abraham-lincoln/1032359/136 "2026-08-18T02:20:18Z")
Also, I assume it’s difficult to catch 5,000 fish at a time (I know there are boats that can do it but an aircraft carrier is not among them) so who gets the first fish? And how do you prevent a mutiny when one group gets to eat first and everyone else has to wait? This would also apply to flying supplies in. ---
**Author:** ![robby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robby/32/11048_2.png) [@robby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robby)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2026, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uss-abraham-lincoln/1032359/138 "2026-08-18T02:38:55Z")
> [@On another topic](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1032397/5): > > My only concern is for all the troops to be now in good care. Sometimes hard situations happen when is a war conflict, and a troop has been trained to handle them. On an aircraft carrier, you have “sailors,” not troops. (Also, a “troop” in the singular is a group of people. See [here](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-marines-us-not-soldiers/1023254/129).) And the reason this is in the BBQ Pit is because this particular “hard situation” was caused by shitty planning at the top. ---
**Author:** ![keeganst94](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/a6a055/32.png) [@keeganst94](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/keeganst94)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2026, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uss-abraham-lincoln/1032359/139 "2026-08-18T03:05:15Z")
> [@DWMarch](#): > > Also, I assume it’s difficult to catch 5,000 fish at a time Set off a few torpedoes for industrial scale dynamite fishing? ---
**Author:** ![Precambrianmollusc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/precambrianmollusc/32/63_2.png) [@Precambrianmollusc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Precambrianmollusc)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2026, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uss-abraham-lincoln/1032359/140 "2026-08-18T03:52:00Z")
> [@DWMarch](#): > > Also, I assume it’s difficult to catch 5,000 fish at a time Maybe that’s hegseths logistics plan , you just need 5 loaves and a couple of fishes to feed 5,000 people. He probably read that somewhere and took it a bit too literally. His root cause analysis will be that there are not enough truly devout people of the right faith in the military. ---
**Author:** ![DWMarch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dwmarch/32/1010_2.png) [@DWMarch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DWMarch)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2026, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uss-abraham-lincoln/1032359/141 "2026-08-18T04:05:05Z")
Jesus wept. For Jesus was with the Military Sealift Command and knows this whole thing could have been avoided if only the higher-ups had talked to him first. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uss-abraham-lincoln/1032359.md?page=6) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uss-abraham-lincoln/1032359.md?page=8)