Senators flag concerns aboard USS Lincoln

Washington: Concerns are mounting over the prolonged deployment of the USS Abraham Lincoln, with Democratic senators raising questions about the living conditions and well-being of its crew after more than eight-and-a-half months at sea.

The San Diego-based aircraft carrier, with 5,000 sailors aboard, is supporting US military operations in West Asia amid the war with Iran.

Senator Richard Blumen­thal, Democrat of Connecti­cut, wrote to Defence Secre­ta­ry Pete Hegseth and acting Navy secretary Hung Cao listing reported problems aboard the carrier, the NYT reported. 

“There have been 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,” he wrote.

Blumenthal said the Trump administration had kept aircraft carriers at sea much lon­ger than usual during its pres­sure campaign against Venezuela and war with Iran.

Senator Ruben Gallego, Democrat of Arizona, said he was seeking an overnight visit to the Lincoln by a bipartisan group of lawmakers. “Unlike Donald Trump, I’ve seen active duty,” said Gallego, who served in combat as a Marine. “The way he’s treating our service members as he carries out this illegal war is not just disgusting; it’s dangerous.”

The Navy is sending the USS George Washington to West Asia to relieve the Lin­coln.

POOR CONDITIONS REPORTS REJECTED

“We make sure that every ship, every crew, every captain has everything we can provide them at every single moment,” Hegseth said. 

The Lincoln has faced intense operational demands and had to fend off attacks from Iran during the early stages of the war. The USS George HW Bush, deployed on March 31, is also operating in West Asia. The USS Gerald R Ford spent 326 days deplo­yed before returning home in May, setting a record for the longest carrier deployment since the Vietnam War. Retired Navy Vice Admiral Mike Franken said, “The Navy has a lot of flexibility to react to contingency operati­ons, but as those deployments get extended and demand more underway time outside normal schedules, readiness and maintenance suffer.” 

—Agencies