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<\/p>\nUSS Abraham Lincoln sailors reportedly tried to jump overboard amid extended deployment<\/p>\n
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Several Democratic lawmakers are calling for answers after concerns were raised by families of sailors aboard USS Abraham Lincoln about the deteriorating living conditions and worsening mental health during the ship\u2019s record-breaking deployment amid the war with Iran.<\/p>\n
If you or someone you know needs help, you can talk with the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by calling or sending a text message to 988, or you can chat online here<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n Since the Lincoln left its home port of San Diego last November, the aircraft carrier has been deployed for more than 250 days after being redirected to the Middle East to support U.S. operations in the war with Iran, now entering its sixth month. With more than 5,000 sailors and Marines aboard, it has not made a port call in more than 200 days, setting a modern-day record for consecutive days at sea, according to Sen. Richard Blumenthal.<\/p>\n News outlets Stars and Stripes<\/a> and the Navy Times<\/a> reported this week that there had been multiple attempts by crew members to jump overboard, citing interviews with sailors and families of those on board who described the impacts of the lengthy deployment.<\/p>\n On Wednesday, Blumenthal, a Democrat from Connecticut and a member of the Armed Services Committee, wrote to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and the Acting Secretary of the Navy to express \u201cserious concern\u201d about the increasing length of deployments and demand answers about living conditions aboard the carrier.<\/p>\n \u201cThere have been widespread reports of shortages of basic supplies, water contamination, plumbing issues, deteriorating mental health, deck safety concerns,\u201d aboard the ship, he said in the letter, as well as \u201cdisruptions in the mail system, which have caused many care packages in route to the ship to be lost in transit for months.\u201d<\/p>\n Video below: Pentagon correspondent speaks on conditions aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln<\/strong><\/p>\n According to both media outlets, around 200 family members of Lincoln crew members voiced concerns over mental health and safety conditions to Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao and other senior officials during town hall meetings last Thursday in San Diego.<\/p>\n During the town hall, a spouse tearfully told officials that she received a message that same day from her husband saying \u201che hopes he doesn\u2019t wake up tomorrow,\u201d Stars and Stripes reported, citing one of the attendees.<\/p>\n Among the other concerns raised were reports of a lack of supplies, food shortages, water contamination and mail system disruptions, according to MS NOW<\/a>, which reviewed audio and video recordings of the meeting.<\/p>\n In one meeting, Vice Adm. Joseph Cahill, commander of Naval Surface Forces, acknowledged the strain on sailors and their families, according to MS NOW, telling families: \u201cWe hear you loud and clear (regarding) the impact this has on families, on service members and the long-term ability of us to stand, sustain our forces\u2019 health.\u201d <\/p>\n In a statement to CNN, the U.S. Navy said, \u201cWe have not observed an increase in suicidal ideations or attempts aboard the ship. We take every service member\u2019s well-being seriously and have religious, medical and mental health professionals available to assess and address concerns as they arise.\u201d <\/p>\n Democratic Rep. Mike Levin of California referenced the meeting in a post on X Friday, saying families described \u201cmoldy showers, broken toilets, no hot water for weeks, meals that came down to half a cup of rice and two tortillas.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSailors so worn down that, according to one family member, the ship\u2019s own doctor warned they need to reach port soon or people are going to start losing their minds,\u201d he wrote.<\/p>\n In its report released Tuesday, Stars and Stripes said its interviews with active-duty sailors and family members, as well as \u201cdozens of public social media comments and posts\u201d by crew, described sailors \u201cstruggling with exhaustion and declining morale, including reports of suicidal thoughts and at least one instance where a crew member was prevented from jumping overboard.\u201d<\/p>\n The Navy Times also quoted the wife of one serviceman aboard the Lincoln who said her husband had tried to jump overboard during the current deployment.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s scared,\u201d Annabelle Loma told the Navy Times. \u201cHe thinks he\u2019ll get a dishonorable discharge, and just because he was burnt out, his 13-year career is ruined, just like that. That\u2019s not fair, that\u2019s not right. That\u2019s not what he should be worrying about right now.\u201d<\/p>\n The Navy Times also spoke to the wife of another sailor who told her he had prevented a fellow sailor from jumping overboard in a separate incident.<\/p>\n In an interview with CNN, the journalist who wrote the Navy Times\u2019 report, Natalie Oliverio, said Loma had not heard from Navy representatives in weeks and is \u201cextremely worried and concerned about how her husband is actually doing.\u201d<\/p>\n Oliverio said Loma faces the stresses of having a spouse deployed while raising their three little children, \u201cso not being able to have answers or direction is really challenging right now for her especially.\u201d<\/p>\n Massachusetts\u2019 Democratic Rep. Seth Moulton, a Marine veteran and member of the House Armed Services Committee, described the reports as \u201chorrific\u201d in an interview with CNN\u2019s Laura Coates and said his committee would be conducting an investigation.<\/p>\n \u201cSadly, I\u2019m not surprised. We have a president, a Commander-in-Chief, who\u2019s made fun of troops for mental health issues. We have a secretary of defense who\u2019s more focused on testosterone tests than actually keeping our troops alive,\u201d he told CNN.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s really hard to be excited about that mission (the war with Iran). There\u2019s no one who believes in it right now, and that\u2019s got to be one of the toughest tolls on our troops,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n ‘Tomorrow’s readiness crisis’<\/p>\n A July CNN poll<\/a> found a record-high 73% of U.S. adults say that President Donald Trump hasn\u2019t paid enough attention to the country\u2019s most important problems, and 67% think Trump\u2019s decisions about military action in Iran have hurt the U.S.<\/p>\n