Washington — Senate Democrats demanded answers Wednesday about conditions aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln, following reports of food shortages, broken plumbing and mental health crises during the aircraft carrier's record-setting deployment.

In a letter to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao, Sen. Richard Blumenthal, of Connecticut, called for the Navy to account for conditions aboard the carrier, which he said "has been deployed more than 250 days" without coming ashore "in over 200 days, setting a record for consecutive days at sea."

Blumenthal voiced concern over such extended deployments, noting "widespread reports of shortages of basic supplies, water contamination, plumbing issues, deteriorating mental health, deck safety concerns" and other problems aboard the Lincoln.

A Navy official told CBS News that the "Lincoln is operating in a highly contested environment where traditional supply hubs in the Middle East were disrupted by combat actions. In response, leadership prioritized mission-critical supplies: first food, then hygiene items, then mail. Current reports from the ship confirm continuous access to clean water, functional AC, and healthy meal options."   

The Navy confirmed in a statement to CBS News that a sailor assigned to the air wing attached to USS Abraham Lincoln went overboard from the ship earlier this month and was recovered safely. The sailor was quickly picked up by an air wing search and helicopter, treated by the ship's medical department, and transferred off ship for follow-on care. The sailor's family was notified.

The circumstances are under investigation, the Navy said. CNN was first to report the sailor overboard.

In two recent meetings, family members clashed with Navy leadership over the difficult conditions — including food shortages — faced by the 5,000 sailors and Marines aboard the Lincoln and demanded to know when loved ones would return home, MSNOW reported.

Some families reported severe mental health issues and attempted suicides on board.

Citing a report in the Military Times that said several sailors had tried to jump overboard or were prevented from trying to in recent months, Sen. Ruben Gallego, of Arizona, said in a social media post Wednesday that the Navy "must allow a bipartisan Congressional Delegation to visit the USS Lincoln to conduct (an) oversight investigation into this horrible situation."  

The Navy official told CBS News, "Based on information available to the command, we have not identified an increase in reported suicidal ideation or suicide attempts aboard the ship. ... (The) Lincoln is providing a comprehensive support network, including onboard deployment-resilience counselors, chaplains, Fleet and Family Support Center services, Military OneSource, and medical professionals."

And in a social media post Thursday evening, U.S. Central Command, which oversees U.S. military operations in the Middle East, said that "no service members aboard the aircraft carrier have died" during the deployment, "and the one Sailor who fell overboard Aug. 3 was quickly and safely recovered." 

While visiting Panama, Hegseth told a reporter from Newsmax the situation aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln had been "completely misrepresented."

"We make sure that every ship, every crew, every captain has everything we can provide them at every single moment," Hegseth said. "Some deployments are longer than others, and I have more respect and gratitude for those sailors than anybody. What they do in those high seas in those austere conditions with less port calls — it's incredible."

Eleanor Watson contributed to this report.

In:

• United States Military
• United States Department of Defense