Representatives Bell, Courtney, and Goodlander Lead Colleagues in Urging Clarity from Pentagon on USS Lincoln’s Overextended Deployment & Sailors’ Safety

The letter follows reports of an intensifying mental health crisis(link is external)aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln

The aircraft carrier's crew is in its 9th month at sea and has spent a record 250 consecutive days without making land

Congressman Bell serves on the House Armed Services Committee

Washington, D.C. - Today, Representatives Wesley Bell (D-MO-01), Maggie Goodlander (D-NH-02), and Joe Courtney (D-CT-02) led a group of 34 lawmakers in demanding immediate answers from the Department of Defense on the conditions aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln.

The letter addresses mounting reports of poor living conditions, food shortages, and a mental health crisis among the crew. The ship and its crew have been deployed at sea for more than 8 months - including a record-breaking 208 days without a single port call - and multiple sailors have reportedly attempted to jump overboard in recent weeks.

"Like the USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) before it, CVN-72'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," the lawmakers wrote."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."

On Tuesday, the Navy Times reported(link is external) on the mental health strain, exhaustion, and safety concerns of sailors aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln, which has been deployed for over eight months supporting President Trump's war with Iran, which included a span of 208 continuous days(link is external) without porting, a carrier record.

"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. 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," the representatives concluded.

As a member of the House Armed Services and Oversight Committees, and representing a state with a large military community, Congressman Bell has focused much of his work in Congress on defending the men and women who serve our country. Recently, He also led more than 70 of his House colleagues in an effort to stop the Navy from renaming the USS Doris Miller, which is the first aircraft carrier named for an African American and an enlisted sailor, after President Trump. In St. Louis, Bell hosted a roundtable with women veterans from across the region to hear directly about the unique challenges they face, and he continues to fight for the healthcare, benefits, and resources our service members and veterans have earned.

The full letter text can be found HEREand 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. 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?

Sincerely,