The USS Abraham Lincoln has been actively engaged in operations against Iran since December 11, with reports from two American military publications highlighting concerning conditions for the service members aboard. These allegations have been firmly denied by President Biden and military representatives.
In light of these claims, Jonny Burnell, a former military photographer and veteran of the U.S. Navy, reflected on his own experience aboard another aircraft carrier, the USS Vinson, during his 111 days there in 2001 amidst the Afghanistan war.
Burnell’s comments followed reports by Military Times and Stars & Stripes that indicated personnel on the USS Lincoln are facing exhaustion, food shortages, and faulty sanitary facilities. The President dismissed these reports as “fake news,” asserting that the USS Lincoln is “well-maintained,” according to The Guardian.
Retired Navy Lieutenant Commander Steve Rogers, now director of the Association of the United States Navy (AUSN), claimed that the media reports are mostly inaccurate and “99% exaggerated.” Meanwhile, BBC noted that the current conditions aboard the USS Lincoln remain unclear. A CNN team that visited the ship last month did not observe widespread issues during their three-day stay.
While several soldiers reported being forced to ration their food and losing weight over a span of “many months,” CNN found that on July 7, when they were aboard, “food was plentiful” and showers were hot, despite some signs of mold.
The U.S. Navy is dispatching another ship to replace the USS Lincoln, expected to arrive in the Middle East within a week.
Veteran Jonny Burnell Reflects on His Time Aboard USS Vinson
Unlike many sailors who were confined to specific areas due to their duties, Burnell’s role as a Navy photographer allowed him to explore the entire ship. He observed a noticeable shift in crew morale during his three-month stay, noting a decline in enthusiasm and an emergence of “sadness” among the team.
“There came a point where you could see a kind of emptiness in the eyes of my shipmates,” Burnell shared with BBC. “I still believe that the hardest part of my job was watching the sadness on people’s faces every damn day,” he added.
From his experience on the USS Vinson, Burnell suspects that many crew members aboard the USS Lincoln may not even have the chance to access the upper deck due to their responsibilities below deck, potentially going long periods without seeing the sky.
“It Was Just Non-Stop Noise”
Burnell recounted that one of his fellow sailors went to great lengths to get discharged, resorting to selling drugs and creating an underground “rave club.”
In his cramped quarters, which troops compared to a “coffin,” there was hardly any space to turn around, with cables for landing planes running through a wall just behind his head.
“It was just non-stop noise. The ship is always noisy,” he recalled. “Planes are constantly landing or taking off, and the weapons are always firing,” Burnell noted.
