Sailors aboard USS Lincoln report concerning conditions

SAN DIEGO (NBC, KYMA) - Growing concerns out of the Middle East as families of sailors aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln speak out.

The aircraft carrier has been deployed for nine months, and MSNow Spoke with a dozen family members of sailors aboard the San Diego-based ship, and what they describe is shocking.

As fighter jets launch air strikes on Iran from the USS Lincoln in the Middle East, military families reported to MSNow that the carrier's 5,000 crew members are suffering through supply shortages, which includes food.

"Food obviously has been scarce. All he's really told me is there was a time where he was only eating half a cup of rice and two tortillas," said Nicole Conrad, a mother one of the sailors aboard the Lincoln.

Families said their loved ones are also dealing with long periods with no hot water for showering, laundry service that's down for weeks and standing in line at the ship's store for more than an hour only to find there aren't basic supplies like toothpaste, soap and deodorant.

"I know there's army guys that are like, look, I slept in a hole that was muddy underneath the tank and I ate MREs, but you didn't do that for nine straight months," said Brett Snow, a Navy Veteran and father of one of the sailors aboard the Lincoln.

The shortages are happening as the Lincoln just set a naval record of the most continuous days at sea, more than 200 and counting, and only two short port calls in the nine months they've been deployed.

Carrier flight decks are inherently dangerous because of fighter jets taking off and landing, combine that with service members reportedly working 12 to 16 hour shifts, sometimes with no days off, and their deployment extended for a second time, and Veterans will say that sparks major safety concerns.

"That's the mission...You do the mission, but I think this is abnormal and I think, you know, carrier deployments are getting longer and if this trend continues, it's going to impact retention and it's going to impact operational safety," Snow expressed.

"I think we should be able to resupply. I think we should be able to switch out our troops so that they at least get a break," said Bonnie York, a mother to one of the sailors aboard the Lincoln.

These parents say their loved ones understand the mission and are committed to completing it.

But as the war drags on indefinitely, and after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth asked Congress last month for $67 million to restore depleted weapons and force readiness, they're hoping that readiness includes replenishing the military's stockpile of basic supplies our service members need.

"It's our government that's not helping the morale. I think I think the ship is doing what they can do with what they're given," Conrad remarked. "But I think our government needs to be doing more for our military, that's sitting over there."

A spokesperson for the fifth fleet in a statement to MSNow said:

"Though more than 250 days on deployment is challenging for the crew and their equipment, they remain resilient and ready to accomplish any tasking given to them AND The ship remains fully capable of meeting all mission tasking.

Family members say they are looking forward to their sailors' return from this record long deployment, but they haven't gotten word on when that may happen.