House Democrats raised concerns about sailors’ mental health, food supplies and safety aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln after the aircraft carrier spent more than 260 days deployed, including months in the Middle East.
Lincoln Deployment Raises Sailor Concerns
On Friday, Reps. Joe Courtney (D-Conn.), Maggie Goodlander (D-N.H.), Wesley Bell (D-Mo.), Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), Marilyn Strickland (D-Wash.), Chris Deluzio (D-Pa.), and Greg Stanton (D-Ariz.) sent a letter to Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao expressing concern over the carrier’s deployment and conditions aboard the ship.
The Lincoln left San Diego on Nov. 21, 2025, and was initially scheduled to return in May.
The lawmakers said the carrier has since been extended multiple times and remained deployed more than eight months later.
They said the ship reportedly made only two port calls, including one in December and a one-day visit in July.
The letter described 208 days without a port call as “a modern-day record and uncharted territory for a Navy aircraft carrier and her crew.”
Sailor Mental Health, Food Issues Raise Alarm
The lawmakers also cited reports from sailors’ families involving mental health struggles, alleged attempts by sailors to go overboard and food shortages or quality concerns.
"The Lincoln’s extended deployment is accompanied by deeply troubling reports about sailors’ mental health and living conditions," the lawmakers wrote.
The lawmakers added, “These reports are not political conjecture; they come from sailors’ worried family members.”
Broken toilets.
— Congressman Chris Deluzio (@RepDeluzio) August 15, 2026
No fresh food.
Sailors jumping overboard.
I'm pushing for answers about the conditions our brave men and women are living in aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln. pic.twitter.com/XXFGw6AMHg
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Hegseth Defends Lincoln Conditions
On Thursday, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth rejected reports of deteriorating conditions aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln, calling claims "completely misrepresented" as roughly 5,000 sailors remained deployed for more than 250 days.
The carrier had gone more than 200 days without a port call and had no publicly announced return date.
Hegseth said the Navy was providing crews with necessary resources and praised sailors operating under "austere conditions with less port calls."
His comments followed reports of sailors allegedly attempting to go overboard and concerns about supply shortages, contaminated water, plumbing failures, mail disruptions and mental health.
The Navy said it had not identified an increase in reported suicidal thoughts or attempts aboard the carrier.
Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) warned that extended carrier deployments could be becoming "a feature rather than an exception."
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
Photo courtesy: Satoshi Mizushima / Shutterstock.com
