Crow Demands Answers from Pentagon about Conditions Aboard USS Abraham Lincoln

AURORA — Congressman Jason Crow (D-CO), a former paratrooper and Army Ranger who serves on the House Armed Services Committee, is demanding answers from Acting Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao on horrible conditions reported aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln. The aircraft carrier has been at sea for more than 260 consecutive days, breaking the record for most consecutive days at sea in modern U.S. naval history. Disturbing reports have emerged about food shortages, broken toilets, lack of basic supplies, and limited port access. Reports also indicate major mental health challenges among sailors, including multiple attempts to jump overboard. 

Crow was joined in the letter to Cao by Congressman Joe Courtney (D-CT) and 50 other House Democrats.

“The strain being put on our sailors and their families is completely unacceptable. It’s not only hurting the health and well-being of our servicemembers, it's affecting military readiness and making us less safe,” said Congressman Crow. “Donald Trump has shown time and time again that he does not care about our servicemembers. The President owes our servicemembers, their families, and the American people a plan to end his reckless war with Iran.”

Crow, Courtney, and their colleagues wrote that the challenges with the USS Lincoln “have become a pattern in the Administration’s handling of its war against Iran… The reported conditions on the Lincoln…leave both Congress and the public concerned that the Department is not adapting quickly enough to the conditions in the CENTCOM area of responsibility, nor taking the appropriate steps to mitigate the continued challenges in our fleet.”

They call on Cao to explain measures being taken to ensure the safety of sailors, the effects caused by resource strain, and the communication from the Department that families of those aboard can anticipate, among other issues. They also ask Cao to clarify whether the Department considers there to be a food shortage or chronic hygiene issues aboard the Lincoln.

Crow has repeatedly condemned Trump’s illegal war of choice in Iran. His War Powers Resolution with Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) to disapprove of the war recently passed the U.S. House, and Crow continues to lead legislation to prohibit federal funding for the war. As someone from a working class family who served three combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, Crow has seen firsthand the toll forever wars have cost servicemembers and hardworking Americans.

A PDF of the letter can be found here, with full text appearing below:

Dear Secretary Cao:

We write to express deep concern for the personnel and material readiness of the USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72) and request information on the ship’s deployment and future. The Lincoln and her crew have been deployed for more than 8 months, twice extended and still performing at a high level under constant combat conditions. The carrier deployed from San Diego on November 21, 2025, and was originally scheduled to return from deployment in May. Carrier crews are always prepared for extended deployments at sea due to potential operational requirements. However, this crew has been extended multiple times and is still deployed in a combat zone 3 months after their originally scheduled return date – with no anticipated redeployment date in sight. Furthermore, the Lincoln has reportedly only pulled into port twice since deploying, once in December 2025 and a second time for a one-day port call in July 2026. This 208-day period without pulling into port was a modern-day record and uncharted territory for a Navy aircraft carrier and her crew. We recognize the severe logistical challenges that come with operating in a warzone. We also note that these challenges, including the inability to make port calls as frequently and the increased mental strain on sailors in a war environment, should be foreseeable and actions should be taken to mitigate the effects to the extent possible.

Like the USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) before it, the Lincoln’s extended deployment is accompanied by deeply troubling reports about sailors’ mental health and living conditions. These reports are not political conjecture; they come from sailors’ worried family members. Numerous sailors have reportedly attempted to jump overboard, in an escalation of challenges the Ford faced. In one instance, the wife of one of these sailors initially received a call from the carrier’s ombudsman but has not received more information from the Navy in the last few weeks. Other family members have sounded the alarm on food shortages or quality issues since April. These concerns reached fever pitch at an August 6 townhall in San Diego, where they were raised by family members of the Lincoln’s crew to Acting Secretary Cao and other Navy leadership. Navy leadership took the appropriate step in meeting to address families’ concerns, but there remains more to be done to ensure that the families and the public have faith that these sailors are being taken care of and that the Department is appropriately managing the fleet and its readiness for Operation Epic Fury.

The Ford and Lincoln’s successive overextended deployments and subsequent challenges have become a pattern in the Administration’s handling of its war against Iran. As of August 13, the USS George Washington (CVN-73) is reported to replace the Lincoln at some point in the future.3 The reported conditions on the Lincoln, following so soon after the reported conditions on the Ford, leave both Congress and the public concerned that the Department is not adapting quickly enough to the conditions in the CENTCOM area of responsibility, nor taking the appropriate steps to mitigate the continued challenges in our fleet. As such, we urge the Department to continue communicating with these sailors’ families and the appropriate congressional committees, and we respectfully request the following information:

1. What additional resources is the Department providing for sailors who are serving under more difficult conditions on extended deployments?
2. What additional measures are being taken to ensure the safety of sailors who may be struggling with their mental health while on extended deployment?
3. What measures did the Department take to mitigate the effects caused by foreseeable strain on standard replenishment procedures in a contested or combat environment?
4. What specific measures did the Department take to overcome unanticipated resource strains caused by adversaries in the CENTCOM AOR?
5. What methods of communication can family members and the public anticipate the Department will use to share information about conditions or other developments on board? Does the Department plan to use the same methods for future extended deployments for Operation Epic Fury, if applicable?
6. At time of writing, does the Department consider there to be a food shortage or chronic hygiene issues on the Lincoln during this stage of deployment?
7. What lessons learned, related to either personnel or material readiness from the extended deployment of the Ford, were put into practice to mitigate strain on the Lincoln personnel?
8. What new procedures, both for personnel and material readiness, can be informed by the extended deployments of the Ford and the Lincoln and how may they be implemented for a potential deployment of the George Washington or other carriers facing lengthy deployments?
9. What lessons learned, related to the Ford’s post-deployment, can be put into practice when the Lincoln returns for its maintenance availability?
10. If the George Washington shifts to CENTCOM to relieve the Lincoln, what are the Navy’s plans to maintain its current force posture in INDOPACOM?

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