RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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See the full story · 5 sourcesFamily members say sailors on the USS Abraham Lincoln have faced food shortages, long stretches at sea and deteriorating mental health
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The military is reportedly preparing to send a new aircraft carrier to the Middle East to replace the issue-plagued USS Abraham Lincoln , which has carried out a lengthy and high-stakes deployment as part of the Iran war.
The USS George Washington will take the Lincoln’s place, U.S. officials told The Wall Street Journal . The switch is reportedly part of a previously planned rotation.
The Navy has said it is not publicly discussing plans for the carriers because of operational security concerns.
The swap comes after sailors and their families have alleged issues on the Lincoln including food shortages , months at sea without interruption and deteriorating mental health.
The George Washington and an accompanying carrier strike group were in the Strait of Malacca in Southeast Asia on Thursday, USNI News reports .
The Lincoln set sail in November and has gone a record-setting 200 days without making a port call, according to Sen. Richard Blumenthal. Aircraft carrier crews typically visit ports roughly once every one or two months.
“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,” Blumenthal wrote in a letter on Wednesday to Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and Acting Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao.
Multiple sailors on the USS Abraham Lincoln have attempted to go overboard, their families told MilitaryTimes .
Secretary Hegseth said Thursday conditions on the ship had been “completely misrepresented.”
"We make sure every ship, every crew, every captain has everything we can provide them at every single moment,” he told reporters during a trip to Panama. “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.”
Family members reportedly confronted Secretary Cao earlier this month at a contentious meeting in San Diego about conditions on the carrier.
The military said Wednesday it had “not identified an increase in reported suicidal ideation or suicide attempts aboard the ship.”
“Navy leadership is listening to our families, supporting our service members, and ensuring the Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group has the resources needed to safely and successfully accomplish its mission,” a Navy official told USNI News on Wednesday.
Rep. Marlin Stutzman of Indiana has said he will seek a report from the Pentagon about conditions on the ship and what is being done to address them.
“At the end of the day, we know that those who are serving have to have comfort knowing that they’re getting properly taken care of,” he told CNN.
In addition to the USS Abraham Lincoln, the USS George H.W. Bush is deployed in the region as part of the Iran conflict.
If you are experiencing feelings of distress, or are struggling to cope, you can speak to the Samaritans, in confidence, on 116 123 (UK and ROI) or visit the Samaritans website to find details of your nearest branch.
If you are based in the US, and you or someone you know needs mental health assistance right now, call or text 988, or visit 988lifeline.org to access online chat from the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. This is a free, confidential crisis hotline that is available to everyone 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
If you are in another country, you can go to www.befrienders.org to find a helpline near you.
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