Complaints about USS Lincoln are aiding Iran, ex-Navy pilot says
(NewsNation) — Former Navy combat pilot Matthew “Whiz” Buckley says airing complaints about tough conditions on the USS Abraham Lincoln may end up aiding the enemy.
“It’s not helping the families. It’s not helping the sailors or Marines. It’s giving aid and comfort to Iran,” Buckley told “Elizabeth Vargas Reports” on Friday. “From talking about weapon shortages to low morale on our ships, if I’m an Iranian, an IRGC general, I’m like, ‘This is great.'”
Buckley, who served aboard the aircraft carrier, agrees that being deployed for an extended period can be “horrible.”
Sailor mental strain peaks aboard USS Lincoln: Reports
“It sucks … We had a saying: ‘Embrace the suck,'” he said. “It’s Groundhog Day, from the lights to the smells to everything. It can take a toll.”
Reports about sailors reaching their breaking point after more than 250 days at sea have become “a little partisan,” Buckley said. Democrats on Capitol Hill have criticized the Trump administration after military family members said pent-up sailors are talking about jumping overboard from mental strain.
Buckley recalls a couple of “jumpers” when he was aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln for six months straight.
“One person did make it overboard, but he was rescued. This is not new. That’s what I’m getting at.”
President Trump downplayed concerns over the USS Abraham Lincoln on Friday but said another ship is heading to the Middle East to relieve it.
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