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EDITOR’S NOTE: This story includes discussion of suicide and mental health struggles, which may be distressing to some readers. If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. In the U.S., you can call or text 988 Lifeline or chat at 988lifeline.org
(Gray News) – Lawmakers want answers after reports of deteriorating living conditions and poor mental health aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln
Roughly 5,000 sailors and marines aboard the vessel remain on extended deployment, with no publicly announced return date
The carrier has been at sea for more than eight months supporting U.S. military operations against Iran. The deployment was anticipated to end in May
Family members of sailors aboard the ship met with the acting secretary of the Navy in San Diego last week
According to the Navy Times, approximately 200 family members raised concerns over sailors’ mental health, exhaustion and safety
The Navy Times also reported that multiple sailors aboard the ship have attempted to jump overboard
Retired U.S. Navy Capt. Armen Kurdian, who served aboard the Lincoln, told KFMB it’s “not uncommon that a strike group experiences somebody wanting to jump overboard or somebody wanting to commit suicide during deployment.”
While it doesn’t happen every day, Kurdian told KFMB it does happen, “so the fact that it’s happening during this deployment is not surprising.”
Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal wrote to defense officials on Wednesday, expressing serious concern about the increasing length of deployment
“Extended periods at sea can compound those inherent risks through fatigue, deferred maintenance, and reduced opportunities for rest and recovery,” Blumenthal wrote
He noted that the Lincoln’s extended deployment is not an isolated case and suggested that extended deployments “may be becoming a feature rather than an exception.”
Blumenthal pointed out that the USS Gerald R. Ford spent 326 days at sea before returning home in May, which is nearly twice the length of a traditional six-month deployment and the longest modern U.S. carrier deployment since the Vietnam era
In his letter, the Democratic senator also mentioned other issues that have been raised, including food shortages, water contamination, plumbing problems and mail disruptions
“The men and women aboard the Lincoln have answered the call to serve their country,” Blumenthal wrote in his letter to the Pentagon, asking for answers by Aug. 27. “The Department owes them not only adequate supplies, maintenance, and support during this deployment.”
According to Navy Times, leadership onboard the Lincoln is continuously assessing sailors’ mental readiness, adding they have access to mental health professionals and other support services
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