Democratic Senator Mark Kelly from Arizona is advocating for an investigation into the reported conditions aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln. Concerns were raised following an account from the grandmother of a sailor on the aircraft carrier. She reported that her grandson has lost a significant amount of weight during the extended deployment.
Senator Kelly, who previously served as a Navy combat pilot and is a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, shared his alarm about the situation. The grandmother of the sailor described her grandson as being thin before joining the Navy, and stated he has lost an estimated 20 to 25 pounds since deployment. ‘He’s struggling,’ Kelly remarked, recalling his interaction with the soldier’s grandmother. ‘It’s depressing, and it’s a very difficult situation.’
In his comments, Kelly also expressed dissatisfaction with the seemingly dismissive responses from then-President Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth concerning the complaints surrounding the Lincoln’s conditions. Kelly, along with other lawmakers, is requesting a thorough investigation. There is also a push for a bipartisan congressional delegation to visit the carrier to personally evaluate the situation.
For more details, you can listen to the full interview above.