- Sailors deployed to the Middle East five months ago have suffered insufficient nourishment, with relatives reporting weight loss of 20-30lbs.
- A sailor on the USS Abraham Lincoln succeeded in going overboard earlier this month, with a relief vessel diverted to Guam.
- Trump dismissed family concerns, stating, No, theyre not when asked if families were worried about conditions.
- Hegseth also dismissed concerns, claiming the reality onboard the Lincoln had been completely misrepresented .
- Families publicly denounced Trump and Hegseth for dismissing their experiences and calling them liars, expressing feelings of betrayal.
- Sailors also faced low-quality drinking water and scarce mental health counseling despite the intense burden of long deployment.
- A mother of a sailor expressed frustration, stating, My son signed up to serve his country. But why isnt his country serving him? They are not feeding him or supplying clean water, and living conditions are horrible.
Families of sailors aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln and USS Tripoli are voicing their anger over President Trump's and Pete Hegseth's dismissive comments regarding their loved ones' dire conditions.
One sailor's mother reported her son lost over 30lbs during the five-month deployment, describing him as 'emaciated.'
Concerns extend beyond weight loss; families report low-quality drinking water and a lack of mental health support.
“Our deployment resilience counsellor quit months ago,” one family member stated, highlighting the dire mental health situation.
Trump's remarks that families were not worried about conditions were met with outrage.
“It’s a feeling of betrayal,” said a sailor's mother, emphasizing the frustration with leadership dismissing their experiences.
Suicide attempts have also been reported among the crew, with one sailor tragically going overboard earlier this month.
“We have heard it said before that they were going to be relieved, but the relief vessel got diverted to Guam,” said a crew member's sister, expressing skepticism about promises of improved conditions.
“Relatives report sailors losing 20-30lbs over five months, with one mother saying her son became 'emaciated'. CNN also reported a sailor went overboard this month, and a sister noted the relief vessel was diverted to Guam, prolonging the deployment.”
theguardian.com
