U.S. Rep. Sara Jacobs, D-San Diego, said she visited the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln at sea Sunday alongside a bipartisan group of lawmakers.
Jacobs said she spoke with the ship's commanders as well as sailors and Marines on board.
"For months, I’ve taken the concerns shared with me about mail delays, food and supply shortages, low morale, and mental health crises aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln straight to CENTCOM and the Navy," Jacobs said in a statement. "Unfortunately, their answers have been wholly insufficient."
"CENTCOM" is U.S. Central Command, which manages military operations in the Middle East.
Jacobs said she is asking the Navy Inspector General to investigate conditions on the Lincoln during its deployment.
She also wants the House Armed Services Committee to hold a field hearing in San Diego to hear from the crew directly.
The Lincoln is on its way back to San Diego after participating in operations against Iran — a deployment that stretched over 10 months.
The ship spent a U.S. Navy record 264 consecutive days at sea before visiting Thailand early this month.
This summer reports surfaced of morale issues tied to food and supply shortages during the deployment.
Last week, Hung Cao, the acting Navy secretary, reported to Congress that eight service members from the Lincoln's battle group attempted suicide during this deployment.
CNN first reported the news, adding the number of attempts were consistent with the Navy's 2024 suicide statistics.
Pentagon leaders have downplayed negative reports of life on the Lincoln.
But this month a Pentagon Inspector General report acknowledged stretched supply lines in the Middle East due to Iranian attacks on a key U.S. supply base in Bahrain.
Navy officials don't comment on ship schedules but U.S. Naval Institute News reported Monday the Lincoln was near Hawaii — potentially a few days away from San Diego.
On Sunday, another San Diego carrier — the USS Theodore Roosevelt — left San Diego.
Navy leaders this month said the crew of the Roosevelt should expect another long deployment but that the supply issues that plagued the Lincoln have been addressed.
