Democratic lawmakers have formally requested information from the War Department regarding the conditions aboard the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln. These inquiries follow reports indicating that the prolonged deployment has severely affected the mental state of the approximately 5,000 sailors and Marines on board.
According to reporting by Navy Times, at least two sailors were prevented from jumping overboard. Family members speaking to the outlet also described their loved ones as being in a significant low mood while aboard the Lincoln. The carrier began a scheduled seven-month deployment in the South China Sea in November, but its orders were redirected to the Arabian Sea in January, preceding Operation Epic Fury against Iran.
Rep. Mike Levin (D-Calif.) detailed on social media platform X that issues aboard the ship included "moldy showers, broken toilets, no hot water for weeks, meals that came down to half a cup of rice and two tortillas." He also noted a lack of essential supplies in the ship's store, such as "soap, deodorant, and toothpaste." Levin cited a family member who reported that the ship's doctor warned of a critical need to reach port soon to prevent a severe decline in crew mental health.
In a letter addressed to Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao and War Secretary Pete Hegseth, Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) highlighted that the USS Abraham Lincoln "has not made a port call in over 200 days, setting a record for consecutive days at sea." Blumenthal, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, also pointed to "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."
Blumenthal urged the Navy to provide its own assessments of the crew's physical and mental readiness, as well as an evaluation of whether the carrier's extended deployment was essential for achieving U.S. military objectives against Iran. He further cautioned that decisions to extend carrier deployments must consider not only operational requirements but also their cumulative impact on crew safety, equipment readiness, maintenance schedules, and the overall capability of the carrier force to address future contingencies.