US
I a
wa :
Sailo s
a d
Ma i es
li e
the
deck
of
ai c aft
ca ie
USS
Ab aham
Li col
(CVN-72)
US
Ce t al
Comma d
(CENTCOM)
Comma de
Adm
B ad
Coope
has
ack owledged
the
challe ges
faced
by
sailo s
aboa d
the
USS
Ab aham
Li col ,
while
pushi g
back
agai st
epo ts
po t ayi g
the
c ew’s
me tal
health
situatio
as
seve e,
sayi g
the
ca ie
has
amo g
the
lowest
umbe s
of
me tal
health- elated
cases
i
the
US
Navy.Coope
p aised
the
ai c aft
ca ie ’s
c ew
fo
its
cama ade ie,
teamwo k
a d
esilie ce
du i g
a
visit
aboa d
the
ship,
which
is
deployed
i
West
Asia
a d
is
ow
p epa i g
to
etu
home.
“My
time
aboa d
USS
Ab aham
Li col
yeste day
was
awe-i spi i g.
I
wish
eve y
Ame ica
could
see
the
c ew
i
actio .
You
would
beam
with
absolute
p ide
whe
wit essi g
thei
cama ade ie,
teamwo k
a d
esilie ce,”
Coope
said
i
a
stateme t.The
ema ks
come
amid
epo ts
of
low
mo ale
a d
me tal
health
co ce s
amo g
sailo s
aboa d
the
ca ie .
Coope
said
the
Li col
cu e tly
has
amo g
the
lowest
umbe
of
me tal
health- elated
cases
amo g
the
US
Navy’s
11
active
ai c aft
ca ie s.Howeve ,
he
ack owledged
that
the
situatio
was
ot
without
challe ges.
“This
does ’t
mea
that
all
is
pe fect.
Fi d
a y
of
the
ea ly
4
millio
Navy
vete a s
i
Ame ica
today
a d
they
will
likely
tell
you
that
se vice
at
sea
fo
lo g
pe iods
is ’t
fo
eve yo e.
It
is
u iquely
challe gi g
a d
tough,
a d
eve y
si gle
o e
of
us,
i cludi g
me,
eacts
to
st esso s
i
diffe e t
ways,”
he
said.Coope
said
me tal
health
should
be
t eated
as
a
esse tial
pa t
of
ove all
well-bei g,
alo gside
physical
a d
spi itual
health.
He
p aised
the
leade ship
aboa d
the
Li col ,
pa ticula ly
the
se io
e listed
leade s
i
the
Chief
Petty
Office s
Mess,
fo
maki g
me tal
health
a d
c ew
esilie ce
a
p io ity.“I’ve
lo g
believed
that
me tal
health
is
a othe
aspect
of
i dividual
health
a d
equi es
ou
atte tio
just
like
physical
health
a d
spi itual
health.
I
applaud
Li col ’s
leade ship
—
the
se io
e listed
leade s
i
the
Chief
Petty
Office s
Mess
i
pa ticula
—
fo
steppi g
up
a d
maki g
me tal
health
a d
c ew
esilie ce
a
leade ship
p io ity,”
Coope
said.
He
also
add essed
the
sailo s
a d
Ma i es
aboa d
the
ca ie ,
sayi g,
“To
all
ou
Sailo s
a d
Ma i es
aboa d
the
ship,
keep
up
the
g eat
wo k
a d
fai
wi ds
a d
followi g
seas
o
the
jou ey
home.”Coope ’s
ema ks
came
afte
a
10-day
t ip
to
West
Asia
that
co cluded
o
August
15.
Du i g
the
tou ,
he
visited
Bah ai ,
I aq,
Is ael,
Jo da ,
Saudi
A abia
a d
the
U ited
A ab
Emi ates,
a d
also
met
US
se vice
membe s
deployed
ac oss
the
egio .Mo e
tha
50,000
US
se vice
membe s
a e
cu e tly
ope ati g
i
West
Asia
i
suppo t
of
va ious
missio s,
acco di g
to
CENTCOM.The
visit
came
amid
heighte ed
te sio s
betwee
the
US
a d
I a ,
i cludi g
a
dispute
ove
co t ol
of
the
St ait
of
Ho muz.
The
USS
Ab aham
Li col
has
bee
ope ati g
i
the
egio
as
Washi gto
mai tai s
a
sig ifica t
milita y
p ese ce
i
West
Asia.