Reports describing poor conditions aboard the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln in the Middle East have been “completely misrepresented,” U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Thursday.

Speaking to reporters during a trip to Panama, Hegseth defended the support given to service members.

“We make sure every ship, every crew, every captain has everything we can provide them at every single moment. Some deployments are longer than others, and I have more respect and gratitude for those sailors than anybody. What they do in those high seas in those austere conditions with less port calls – it’s incredible,” he said.

The aircraft carrier, crewed by around 5,000 sailors and Marines, left its home port of San Diego in November before arriving in the Middle East in January to support U.S. military operations in the war with Iran.

The deployment had been expected to end in May but has been extended with no current return date, families told The Military Times.

Extended deployments pose enduring challenges for the U.S. Navy, placing heavy strain on crew mental health during wartime.

Sailors and Marines serving aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln have told relatives they were served a half-cup of rice and two tortillas for a meal, and said the ship’s store often lacks soap, deodorant and toothpaste, MS NOW reported Wednesday.

“The morale is not good,” said Bonnie York, whose stepson is aboard the Lincoln, told MS NOW. “Apparently, the ship’s doctor or therapist said they need to hit port soon or people are going to start, you know, losing their minds.”

Annabelle Loma, the wife of a sailor serving on the Abraham Lincoln, told the publication her husband is now on medical hold after trying to jump from the carrier.

“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.”

When asked about the shipboard conditions, White House spokesperson Olivia Wales said President Donald Trump and Hegseth were focused on ensuring the military remains “equipped with the resources necessary to counter any threat to the United States”.

Democratic lawmakers have voiced frustration over the prolonged deployment and living standards aboard the vessel.

“There have been widespread reports of shortages of basic supplies, water contamination, plumbing issues, deteriorating mental health, deck safety concerns, and disruptions in the mail system, which have caused many care packages in route to the ship to be lost in transit for months,” U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal wrote to Hegseth and the Navy secretary this week.