1. United States
2. Iowa
3. Letter

Demand an Immediate Investigation Into Conditions on the USS Abraham Lincoln I need you to look into this immediately, because what’s happening on the USS Abraham Lincoln right now is unacceptable. The Lincoln has been at sea for over 260 days — nine months, with no set return date. It was supposed to come home in May. Families are now saying multiple sailors have tried to go overboard. One sailor’s wife says her husband is on medical hold after trying to jump. Another spouse says her husband physically pulled a shipmate back onto the deck before they went over the side. At a town hall with Navy leadership, one spouse said her husband texted her that he “hopes he doesn’t wake up tomorrow.” Families are also describing the conditions onboard: clogged toilets, mildew in the showers, food supply problems, and serious, worsening mental health strain on the crew. Complaints like these were raised back in April and were dismissed by the Department of Defense at the time. They have not gone away. They’ve gotten worse. The Navy says it hasn’t identified an increase in suicidal ideation or attempts aboard the ship. I don’t think that’s good enough. Multiple sailors’ families, on the record, are describing a crew in crisis. That gap between what the Navy is saying publicly and what families are living through is exactly why this needs independent oversight, not just an internal review. I’m asking you to: • Demand an immediate, independent investigation into deployment length, living conditions, and mental health support aboard the Lincoln. • Require the Navy to publicly disclose how many sailors have attempted self-harm or gone overboard during this deployment. • Push for a firm return date for the crew and accountability for how this deployment was extended without one. • Ensure sailors and families have real support and a way to report conditions without fear of retaliation or discharge. These are servicemembers who are 5,000-plus people from our communities, doing what they were ordered to do. They deserve better than being kept at sea for nine months with failing infrastructure and no end date, while officials wave off what their own families are reporting. I want to know what you’re doing about this. A Concerned Constituent