Who Speaks For Our Servicemen and Women?

Guest Opinion by Lee McInnis

The stories that Sailors and Marines deployed in support of our needless war with Iran weren’t being fed proper meals began circulating in April. It was clear the Department of Defense was having serious trouble supplying the fleet with food. Most of the stories seemed to come from 5,000 Sailors and Marines on the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, but if it was happening on one ship, it was probably happening across the fleet.

In May, photos of a “typical lunch” aboard the Lincoln showed two tortillas and a scoop of what I hope was refried beans. Dinner was a small portion of carrots and what looked like a freeze-dried hamburger patty. Secretary of Defense Hegseth claimed that this was all fake news and the press trying to make President Trump look bad because the war was going so well, but the stories persisted.

I deployed to Iraq once and Afghanistan twice, and I am aware that providing sustenance for a huge number of people that far away is difficult. There were times insurgents cut off our main supply routes, and food ran short, but every time that happened, our leadership worked hard to resolve the issue, and they always quickly fixed things. 

We’re now four months into reports of food shortages on the Lincoln, and things aren’t going well. Several media outlets have reported statements from family members of those Sailors and Marines, and the situation has worsened. Not only have the food shortages continued, but toilets are not working in widespread areas of the ship, many showers don’t work, and the ones that do are covered with mold. Laundries are out of order, and for long periods there is no hot water. 

The Lincoln was supposed to be on a seven-month, 210-day deployment. They have been deployed for over 250 days, have just completed 40 days of sustained combat operations, and have recently learned their deployment has been extended again. Brett Snow, a Navy veteran whose son is on the Lincoln, told MSNOW, “It’s the most dangerous place in the world already, and now you’re grinding it out, day in and day out, with no breaks. It’s an environment that’s ripe for accidents.” Another family member reported that the mental health professionals and chaplains on board are stretched thin, counseling sailors as morale is nearing a breaking point. 

From personal experience, when bad morale and operational exhaustion combine, it does not end well. 

The members of our armed forces risk their lives in the defense of our nation. They do so trusting that this nation will take care of them while they stand in harm’s way. This administrationhas broken that trust with our servicemen and women, and they seem incapable of fixing the problem.

The House and Senate Armed Services Committees have a moral and constitutional obligation to investigate matters such as this. They do not need the permission of the President or the Secretary of Defense. Right now, they should be demanding answers from the Department of Defense. But the GOP-led congressional committees are too afraid to speak up for the men and women serving our nation in a war they never needed. If these legislators do not have the courage to speak up for these young men and women, they should leave Congress as soon as possible.

The men and women of our armed forces deserve better than what they’re getting from our elected officials. We all do.

Lee McInnis is an Alabama native with 30-plus-years of experience in the U.S. Army and the Defense Intelligence Community. During that time, he held multiple senior leadership jobs, and deployed to Iraq once and Afghanistan twice. He is the Democratic nominee for Alabama’s 3rd Congressional District seat.

For more information on McInnis and his campaign, visit https://leemcinnis4alabama.com.

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