Sailors' Distress on USS Abraham Lincoln

Tonight, a shocking new report that multiple sailors aboard the USS

Abraham

Lincoln have tried to jump overboard amid poor conditions and mental stress on the

ship. This is according to new reporting from

the Military Times, which spoke

to the wife of one of those sailors, who says she's spoken to her husband only

a

handful of times since he tried to jump. He is now on a medical hold.

The Military Times is also reporting severe food shortages on

board, and that

sailors are running out of just basic needs, toothpaste, deodorant,

soap. This crew has been at sea for nine months

amid

Trump's war in Iran. That includes

250 consecutive days without setting foot on land.

250 consecutive days, that is a record.

OutFront now, Natalie Olivero. She is the Military Times journalist who broke

the story, and she is also a Navy veteran.

Natalie, I appreciate your time. I mean, the details you have in this story are,

are really stunning. I mean, my, my jaw drops.

You know, we're, we're talking about the USS Abraham

Lincoln, and you're talking

about things that I think people struggle to understand are happening in the US

military. You've spoken directly with some of these

families, and you're

reporting on incidents involving sailors a- apparently trying to, to jump

overboard. You spoke to the wife of one of them,

I know, and, and her husband

served in the Navy for more than a dozen years, 13 years.

So what have you learned?

Thanks for having me, Erin, and, and for covering this story.

Speaking with, uh, Ms. Loma, she is

extremely worried and concerned about how her husband

is actually

doing, and until she can be in front of him

and see him with her

own eyes, she's not really gonna be able to answer

that question.

And facing the stresses that every military spouse

faces when theirs is deployed, is being a solo parent at home

with three little kids. So not being able to have

answers or direction is really challenging right now, for

her especially.

So, you know, look, these incidents are very disturbing.

I mean, what would drive someone to, to be at a point where they would be

willing

to do that, obviously, is, is distressing to consider.

But the families of sailors aboard the Lincoln are telling you about

incidents like this. They're also telling you about some of

these other truly

stunning details, that the sailors are, are often hungry because there isn't

enough

food, that basic supplies, toothpaste, deodorant, aren't easy

to get. Now, back in April, you know, and this has been going on a long

time. We talk about this ship, 250 days in a row without setting foot on

land, a

record.

So this has been going on a long time.

In April, Secretary Hegseth, um, you know, dismissed reports about

inadequate food. He said it was fake news.

So what's the reaction to the, the fam- from the families that you're

speaking to? They don't get to talk to their,

their sail- uh, loved ones on board

that ship that often. You know, what's their reaction when the Defense

Secretary calls this all fake news?

Confusion, hurt,

lack of understanding. Uh, they're constantly seeking some

kind of reassurance or information.

There's a lot of conflicting reports, a lot of different information,

especially on

social media, within different groups and, and

small community pages. Those are the pages where

organic conversations and relationships

exist. Those aren't deep fakes

or AI, uh, dupes being created. These are where

families go to communicate. This is a lifeline

for families who really never receive an instruction

manual on how to handle your, your time when your

loved one is deployed. Um, so families are feeling, uh,

left in the dark, and all families are agreeing-

Yeah

... that it is absolutely unacceptable and unthinkable to imagine.

Well, it's unthinkable, I think, for any American to hear this reporting,

frankly,

a- and, and deeply disturbing to imagine

that sailors who are serving this country,

going 250 days without setting foot on land, nine-month deployment, um,

would have food shortages or a- any it, it, it,

it's upsetting. Uh, so we reached out to the Navy, Natalie,

about your report, and

they responded in a statement and they said, quote,

"We have not observed an

increase in suicidal ideations or attempts aboard the ship.

We are not experiencing an uptick in mental health issues aboard Abraham

Lincoln." I just wanted to give you a chance to respond to that.

Uh, m- my first question to that is, an increase from what

baseline? An increase, no increase from

when? What does that measurement window look

like?

Um, we did request deck logs and, uh, multiple

FOIAs from the Navy, so hopefully we'll get those back and can

review them independently. But until we do, um, all we have

is our firsthand re- uh, reporting and accounts from these family members

who are experiencing this and living it day after day.