Democrats Demand Answers on USS Lincoln Deployment Conditions
Sen. Richard Blumenthal is pressing the Pentagon and Navy over reports of supply shortages, contaminated water and a sailor overboard during the carrier's record-long deployment.
The top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee sent a letter Wednesday to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao demanding information about conditions aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln, which has been deployed for more than 250 days amid the war with Iran.
Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., wrote that the Lincoln has gone more than 200 days without a port call and cited "widespread reports of shortages of basic supplies, water contamination, plumbing issues, deteriorating mental health, deck safety concerns, and disruptions in the mail system."
His letter follows reports that a sailor attempted to go overboard from the Lincoln. A U.S. official confirmed to ABC News that a sailor went overboard in early August and was quickly recovered; the incident is under investigation.
Hegseth pushed back Thursday, telling Newsmax that accounts of sailors struggling have been "completely misrepresented" and that "every ship, every crew, every captain" has everything the Navy can provide.
A Navy official said the Lincoln has not seen an increase in reported suicidal ideation or suicide attempts, though the statement acknowledged that "extended deployments place a significant strain on our service members and their families." A separate U.S. official said Navy data shows suicidal ideation is not uncommon on deployed ships, typically higher early in a deployment, and that the Lincoln is following that pattern with no deaths or suicides since departing San Diego in November.
The carrier was originally slated for a six-month Pacific deployment but was extended to nine months and redirected to the North Arabian Sea because of the Iran war. Cao told families last week another carrier would eventually swap in, and a U.S. official said the USS George Washington will replace the Lincoln as part of a planned rotation.
Blumenthal noted the Lincoln is not an isolated case, pointing to the earlier prolonged deployment of the USS Gerald Ford, and warned that "extended deployments may be becoming a feature rather than an exception of the Navy's force-generation model."
His letter asks for the Navy's plan for sustaining carrier strike groups in the Middle East over the next 12 to 24 months, who authorized the Lincoln's deployment extensions, and what metrics the Navy uses to track fatigue, morale and crew readiness.
Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., top Democrat on the Senate Defense Appropriations subcommittee, told CNN the sailor-overboard report is "another reminder" that the administration is not investing enough in troops' daily lives while seeking billions for new weapons programs.
This article was produced with the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI), in accordance with our editorial policy.
