Rear Admiral (Ret.) Nancy Lacore (pictured), a 35-year Navy Veteran and Democratic candidate for South Carolina’s 1st Congressional District and Rear Admiral (Ret.) Eileen Laubacher, a 34-year Navy veteran and Democratic candidate for Colorado’s 4th Congressional District issued the following joint statement amid reports of deteriorating conditions and declining morale aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln following an extended deployment supporting U.S. operations against Iran:
“This ill-conceived and unnecessary war is having terrible consequences for our national security and taking a serious toll on our sailors, Marines, and military families. The damage to morale, readiness, and recruitment could last for years."
“Members of the military understand service and sacrifice," Lacore and Laubacher said. "We are prepared to do hard things. But when we send Americans into harm’s way, we owe them a clear mission. The Department of Defense has failed to provide that.
“The Lincoln has remained deployed months beyond its planned return, leaving sailors and their families in limbo while reports emerge of food shortages, water contamination, and deteriorating morale and mental health.”
“I’m glad these sailors and families may finally get some relief,” said Laubacher. “But it should never have taken military families speaking out and mounting media attention to force action. They should not have to wage a public campaign to get our leaders to do the right thing.
“When you’re deployed, you measure time in milestones and holidays. During my year in Afghanistan, every holiday was a reminder that by the next one, I would be home. These sailors have watched those milestones come and go. Parents are missing the start of school. Families are missing homecomings.”
“On my first deployment, we were operating in that same region as the USS Abraham Lincoln,” said Lacore. “Just like those Sailors, when we left our home port on deployment, we knew when we were supposed to come home. We had an end date, and we were counting down to it. Then something changed in the region and just as we thought we were heading home, our ship turned around and went back to the Gulf. I still remember how mentally crushing it was to realize the date you’ve been holding onto is gone.
“The Sailors aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln haven’t experienced that once. They’ve experienced that uncertainty repeatedly. Every extension challenges morale on the ship and adds to the anxiety at home.”
“This is a failure of leadership at the Pentagon and in Congress,” The pair continued. “Pete Hegseth has failed to provide the leadership our service members deserve, and Congress has failed to demand accountability or a clear path forward. Lauren Boebert has voted four times to continue this war. And in South Carolina’s 1st District, Nancy Mace voted to allow it to continue, then failed to show up when Congress had another chance to end it.
“Our sailors, Marines, and military families deserve leaders who understand that decisions made in Washington have real consequences for the people we ask to defend this country.”