Democratic Sen. Ruben Gallego reacted to reports of poor conditions aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln, saying they are ongoing and blaming the Trump administration’s leadership and the war with Iran for the ship’s extended deployment.
Extended Deployment
The USS Abraham Lincoln, a Navy aircraft carrier deployed to the Middle East, has been at sea for nearly nine months and gone more than 200 days without a port call. Democrats are demanding an investigation into the conditions aboard the Lincoln after reports of low morale among sailors during the extended mission.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth dismissed the reports as ‘completely misrepresented’ and President Donald Trump, when asked about the length of the deployment, said it is ‘not nearly long enough.’ Gallego, a former Marine, said that the comments from Hegseth and Trump might discourage service members from wanting to remain in the military going forward.
Morale Improvement
Retired Adm. Mike Mullen, a former chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told ABC News that extended deployments of aircraft carriers is common, often beyond the stated time frame. However, responding to Trump’s suggestion that the deployment hasn’t gone long enough, Mullen said deployments of this length take a toll on the crew. Mullen also stated that morale improved among the crew after it learned it would be returning home.
Original reporting: Allentown News – 6abc Philadelphia — read the source article.
