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USS Lincoln Mental Health
Arizona Senator Mark Kelly said the mental health crisis aboard the USS Lincoln needed immediate attention and urged servicemembers to use resources under the Brandon Act, which he passed to guarantee the right to seek mental health treatment without fear of retaliation.
“"Dismissing it like it’s no concern at all.”
Kelly criticized Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s response, saying, "Dismissing it like it’s no concern at all," and argued that leadership requires improving the lives of the people being led.
Kelly also tied the issue to Brandon Caserta, a United States Navy Petty Officer Third Class from Peoria, Arizona, who died by suicide after seeking mental health care and being denied.
In the same release, Kelly encouraged servicemembers who are struggling to learn and use the Brandon Act and said, "They shouldn’t be punished and they should get treatment."
Trump Downplays, Navy Pushes Back
Donald Trump downplayed concerns about US sailors enduring a record-setting deployment of nearly nine months onboard the USS Abraham Lincoln, telling reporters the deployment was "not nearly long enough."
The Guardian reported that the Lincoln has been supporting the US war against Iran and that Democratic lawmakers were pressing the Pentagon for accountability over conditions onboard the carrier.
The Guardian also quoted a US official saying the Lincoln was "operating in a highly contested environment" and that navy leaders had "prioritized mission-critical supplies: first food, then hygiene items, then mail."
In a statement released on Friday, Hung Cao, the acting secretary of the navy, downplayed the reports and said "sailors and marines are expected to dig deep."
Replacement and Investigation
A US aircraft carrier is headed to the Middle East to replace the USS Abraham Lincoln after issues were reported aboard, with the BBC saying the USS George Washington could arrive in about nine days.
“could arrive in the region in about nine days”
BBC analysis said the Lincoln has been at sea since 11 December on a deployment initially scheduled to end in May, and it reported that the US Navy acknowledged supply challenges while denying that a mental health crisis was taking place on the Lincoln.
In a separate fact-check, Snopes said the claim that some sailors aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier are trying to jump overboard is still under investigation and that it was unable to independently confirm the conditions onboard the aircraft carrier or the mental health of the sailors.
Snopes left the claim unrated until it received more information, writing, "we have left this claim unrated until we receive more information."