Senators intervene
Twelve American officials sent an official letter to the Secretary of Defense of the United States, Pete Hegseth, concerning the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, demanding "honest answers" regarding reports of deteriorating living conditions and mental health crises on board. The Lincoln has spent nearly 250 consecutive days at sea without making landfall since sailing from San Diego in November 2025. The American military publications Navy Times and Stars and Stripes reported last week that several crew members had attempted to jump overboard, citing concerned relatives.
Persistent problems
Criticizing Hegseth and US President Donald Trump for dismissing relevant reports earlier this week, the senators argued in their letter that the situation on the Lincoln "could have been prevented" while maintaining that it presents similarities to issues faced by the USS Gerald R. Ford during its deployment, which lasted more than 300 days earlier this year. "The USS Lincoln was redirected to the Middle East when the war with Iran began and remains there as the war drags on with no clear end in sight," the letter states. "This is a symptom of poor planning by both you [Hegseth] and the President, compounded by the deeply flawed decision to start a war with Iran," the senators contend.
Sending the USS George Washington
Regarding reports that the USS George Washington is set to deploy to the Middle East to replace the Lincoln, the letter states that, although this move would leave the US without an available aircraft carrier, returning the Lincoln to port must be a priority. The senators demand that Hegseth take responsibility. The letter also demands that the US Department of Defense brief Congress and the families of the Lincoln's crew members regarding the timeline and plan for the aircraft carrier's return home. "Denial and defensiveness are not acceptable answers. Congress and these families need accountability," the letter states.
The 12 questions
The senators submitted a list of 12 questions to Hegseth regarding the current status of the Lincoln, living conditions, crew morale and health, as well as the situation of military families serving on board, demanding written answers. "As Secretary of Defense, you [Hegseth] are accountable to the men and women who serve our country. It is time to show leadership, rather than making excuses," the letter concludes. "The members of the armed forces we send on dangerous missions deserve nothing less."
Who signed the letter
The letter was signed by the ranking member of the US Committee on Armed Services and Senator Jack Reed (Rhode Island), Senator Gary C. Peters (Michigan), Senator Jeanne Shaheen (New Hampshire), Senator Mark Kelly (Arizona), Senator Tim Kaine (Virginia), the vice chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee Patty Murray, Senator Richard Blumenthal (Connecticut), Senator Mazie K. Hirono (Hawaii), Senator Tammy Duckworth (Illinois), Senator Elissa Slotkin (Michigan), Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (New York), and Senator Angus S. King Jr. (Maine). Last week, Blumenthal sent his own letter to Hegseth and Acting US Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao regarding the Lincoln. Citing reports of supply shortages, water contamination, and several other problems emerging over recent months, Blumenthal gave the US Navy a deadline of August 27 to provide answers.
Demand explanations
In his questions to the Navy, Blumenthal requested details regarding the prolonged deployment of the Lincoln, how the US Navy evaluates the mental health and morale of its service members, and the measures taken to address reported quality-of-life issues aboard the carrier. Furthermore, Blumenthal asked the Navy to explain what military objective is served by the continued deployment of the Lincoln and how the US Department of Defense "evaluates whether the continued presence of the aircraft carrier is necessary to achieve this objective."
Unacceptable conditions
Video footage allegedly recorded on board shows one of the aircraft carrier's restrooms, with an American sailor calling conditions "unacceptable." "You expect me to do my business in here? No," the alleged sailor is heard saying in the video, pointing to the toilets. "Come on now, right? Join the Navy, right? Join the Navy," he said sarcastically. "This is what we go through on the aircraft carrier," he added. "And this isn't even the worst of it." Additionally, messages attributed to another Lincoln sailor describe alleged food shortages aboard the ship, stating that "we have nothing fresh except meat because it's frozen." "The supply ship that comes here can't bring fruit and things like that because they can't stay fresh enough until they get here," the sailor allegedly wrote. "Sometimes they arrive already rotten." "Even people who have been on deployments a hundred times say this is the worst," he continued. "The Navy doesn't care."
What is really happening in the US armed forces
Foreign press reports stemming from the saga of the American aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln speak of a severe mental health crisis among the 5,000 sailors due to the long voyage off the coast of Iran, where the ship actively participated in bombings of military and civilian targets in the Islamic Republic of Iran. Although no one on board had ever seen a single Iranian soldier, whether near or far, and at best had simply pressed buttons, this... exhausting war had exacted an extremely high toll on American soldiers and sailors. There are reports that several people "tried to jump overboard" and one sailor even wrote to his wife that he hoped he wouldn't wake up tomorrow. US senators became involved in this terrible story and a massive scandal broke out. First of all, everything lasted a very long time... 9 months.
Zumba, video games, and... despair
Any American psychologist would agree that it is absolutely unbearable when an aircraft carrier features only one (!) state-of-the-art recreation center with a library, lounge, movie theater, electric fireplace, video game room, Wi-Fi for social media, and soundproof booths for making satellite calls to worried family members... writes Ria Novosti tongue-in-cheek. These... inhumane conditions are compounded by the presence of a 24-hour cafeteria and supermarket where you can purchase personal items and all sorts of treats, seven gyms, several barbershops, and cable television. On board, you can attend yoga, zumba, and spinning classes, but the lack of pilates, peloton, bachata, and pole dancing classes leaves the crew with... unhealable emotional wounds. But that is not enough. Others turned to heavy pill use after the laundry service closed for a week—with the Department of the Navy taking the blame—and disruptions in mail delivery occurred. Others have even resorted to using razors in full bathtubs due to a shortage of soap, toothpaste, and deodorant. And almost everyone, with tears in their eyes, claimed that the aircraft carrier was "too noisy," had "little personal space," people were "too tired," and the "uncertainty" was overwhelming.
Massive mental health crisis in the US armed forces
It should be noted that the situation on the USS Abraham Lincoln is not an isolated incident, but rather an example of a growing crisis in the US Armed Forces, where members of the military are simply living in unbearable conditions, causing them to lose their humanity and lose their minds en masse. According to the US Army War College Journal, the incidence of mental health issues in the US military increased by 40% from 2019 to 2023, and 541,672 active-duty military personnel experienced at least one mental health crisis over the last five years. Nearly 55% of hospitalizations in the US military are now due to psychiatric issues. The suicide rate increased from 493 in 2022 to 523 a year later. In 2025, the publication The Intercept conducted a study on suicide in the US Air Force and found that the main reasons for taking one's life were chronic illness, insomnia, headaches, and intestinal problems. The study quoted a sergeant: "Some days I don't want to get out of bed because I don't know how the day will go." American military analysts also report with horror and panic that "at least 42% of active-duty personnel" sleep less than five hours a day, returning late to bed from Zumba classes.
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