Conflict268 Days at Sea: 5,000 Trapped on USS Lincoln in Strait of HormuzAired August 19, 2026 at 1:56 PM UTCWritten September 7, 2026 at 9:22 PM UTCRead the write-upThis storyTranscript · LOADING0:00The USS Lincoln has been at sea 268 days0:03with more than 200 consecutive days0:05without a port call. With 5,000 sailors0:08and Marines confined aboard holding the0:09Strait of Hormuz in the Middle East as0:11the war with Iran keeps the carrier on0:13station. That scale, 5,000 [music] crew0:16confined for months, more than 200 days0:18straight without liberty or sustained0:20[music] resupply is now driving reports0:22of plummeting morale and mental health0:23strain aboard. Assessments of those0:25conditions are mixed [music]0:26with Central Command, Defense Secretary0:28Pete Hegseth, and President Donald Trump0:31offering divergent views ranging from0:33acknowledgement of the pressure on the0:34crew to dismissal of the concerns. The0:36carrier has remained on station through0:38the Iran war and straight blockade0:40[music] with no confirmed port call date0:42while the USS George Washington is0:44slated to move to the region to relieve0:45the Lincoln on a timeline that remains0:47uncertain. Holding that narrow choke0:49point has kept a crew deployed0:50continuously past normal limits with0:53operational demands preventing rotation0:55while the Middle East mission continues.0:57Earlier this month, one sailor went0:59overboard and was quickly [music]1:00recovered, an incident sharpening1:02attention on the toll of months confined1:04at sea. The extended operation [music]1:06carries a $17 billion request for1:08military operational costs while gas1:10prices sit at $4 with the crew still1:12deployed as relief remains pending.1:15Like and follow for more stories that1:17matter.Explore with HeyDexFollow via RSSThe shortThe short ↗Related coverageBackgroundOct 8 19:02 UTCTrump vows to protect LA and San Diego after remarks prompt threat monitoringBackgroundOct 8 16:44 UTCYemen’s fighting uproots 200,000 as airports come under attackBackgroundOct 2 13:00 UTCU.S. naval departures expand Iran options, but no new strike order is confirmed