U.S. Central Command commander Adm. Brad Cooper visited the USS Abraham Lincoln in the Arabian Sea during a 10-day trip through the Middle East that concluded Aug. 15.
Cooper met with sailors and Marines aboard the aircraft carrier and addressed the crew, praising its performance during a deployment that began in November 2025.
"The Lincoln Carrier Strike Group is a strong team of high-achieving Americans standing tall with immense, justified pride in everything they accomplished," Cooper said in a statement. "History will record this deployment as one of the most operationally intense and consequential of the modern era."
The San Diego-based Abraham Lincoln arrived in the Middle East in January. According to CENTCOM, the carrier strike group has conducted thousands of combat flights in support of Operation Epic Fury, regional security missions, and the ongoing U.S. naval blockade against Iran.
U.S. Central Command refuted reports by media outlets about conditions aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln, denying claims that sailors have died in a brawl or that a spike in suicidal thoughts among the crew has occurred.
CENTCOM said multiple media outlets had published false reports about the Lincoln, including one alleging that seven sailors died in a fight aboard the carrier.
"No service members aboard the aircraft carrier have died," CENTCOM said.
CENTCOM pointed to the Lincoln's 84.4 percent crew reenlistment rate, which it said is among the highest for U.S. Navy aircraft carriers.
Sailors and Marines with the Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group have spent more than 260 days at sea during the current deployment, according to CENTCOM. The strike group has conducted about 10,000 aircraft flights and expended 1.5 million pounds of ordnance.
CENTCOM also addressed an Aug. 3 incident in which a sailor fell overboard, saying the crew member was quickly and safely recovered.
The command called the reports about the Lincoln's deployment "rampant misreporting" and said they were a disservice to service members and their families.
Cooper was making his second visit to the Lincoln this year. He previously visited the carrier in February with U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.
The carrier visit was part of Cooper's 10-day trip that included stops in Bahrain, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. He met with senior civilian and military leaders as well as U.S. troops deployed in the region.
More than 50,000 U.S. service members are operating across the Middle East.
Cooper also presided over an Aug. 11 leadership transition for Combined Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve in Jordan, in which Maj. Gen. Kevin Lambert turned over command to Rear Adm. Liam Hulin.