A Navy sailor who jumped overboard in an apparent suicide attempt while serving aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln is facing disciplinary action, the service member’s wife told MS NOW Wednesday.
The wife, who spoke to the outlet on the condition of anonymity, said the service member was accused of violating two articles of the Uniform Code of Military Justice. The sailor jumped overboard on Aug. 3 and had been repeatedly denied requests for paternity leave, his wife said.
Charging documents reviewed by MS NOW claimed the 19-year-old sailor violated Article 83 for “malingering” — described as a service member inflicting self-injury or faking a physical or mental illness to skirt military duties — as well as Article 86 for “absence without leave.”
The Pentagon did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Thursday.
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Public outcry surged this month after reports circulated about deteriorating conditions and low morale aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln during its record-breaking deployment. The aircraft carrier, which has been supporting military operations in Iran, left its home port in San Diego in November 2025. The deployment has since broken the record for most consecutive days at sea without a port call.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has denied allegations of dire living conditions aboard the Lincoln, telling reporters that such claims were “completely misrepresented.”
“We make sure every ship, every crew, every captain has everything we can provide them at every single moment,” Hegseth said during a trip to Panama earlier this month. “Some deployments are longer than others, and I have more respect and gratitude for those sailors than anybody.”
The USS George Washington was dispatched to replace the Lincoln shortly after demands for answers grew. The Lincoln will make a port call in Thailand next week before heading to its home base in the U.S., according to The Associated Press.