Blumenthal Demands Navy Answers on USS Lincoln Deployment

Sen. Richard Blumenthal, a Connecticut Democrat and member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, sent a letter Wednesday to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao seeking information about the carrier's long deployment and reports of problems involving basic supplies, water, plumbing, mental health, deck safety and mail. The letter comes one day after a Military Times report detailed concerns from family members who said multiple sailors aboard the Lincoln had attempted to go overboard during the deployment, which has been indefinitely extended as the carrier supports U.S. military operations in the Middle East against Iran.

The report also outlined various concerns raised by sailors and their families about conditions aboard the ship and the strain of the prolonged deployment. The Lincoln departed Naval Base San Diego on Nov. 21, 2025, for a deployment expected to last seven months, according to Blumenthal's letter.