Dire Conditions Aboard U.S. Aircraft Carrier Means More Trouble is Coming

I served with the U.S. Marine Corps as a Navy medical officer during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, 1990-1991. I was deployed to Northern Saudi Arabia near the border with Kuwait (and the invading Iraqi Army).

Conditions were austere by my customary civilian living standards: tents, cots, sleeping bags, latrines, and bomb shelters that we dug and built ourselves with the help of the amazing Seabees. We trained, drilled, and prepared for what was to come.

Life was made more tolerable when we had hot food, showers, and mail call. Letters and care packages took 2-3 weeks to arrive – but they did arrive - and were essential for morale. We did our best to cheer each other up and make life during the deployment tolerable. And occasionally we got a day off from work/drills or a liberty call.

We also understood that we were part of a team involved in an important mission for the U.S. and its allies. The United Nations and the U.S. Congress had voted to go to war to restore the independence of Kuwait, which had been taken over by an Iraqi invasion. We felt that our government and military leadership had given us clear directions, had our back, and would be supportive in any way possible given the constraints of deployment and the coming conflict.

Now we have our sailors and Marines deployed on ships into a war which seems to have been initiated by a President who treats it like a game, thought it would be over in 2 weeks, spends his time fretting over his failed reflecting pool and ballroom, did not get Congressional approval, nor the support of our Allies. The reasons for the conflict are nebulous, the mission unclear, and the stated goals change frequently. There was no vote in Congress and no buy-in from Allies (who were apparently blindsided).

The longer a warship is deployed, the more there accumulates wear and tear on equipment and people both. When in constant operation, gear often begins to break or become inoperable. Accidents become more likely. The USS Gerald Ford previously had a major fire while on station in this conflict during an overly long deployment for this “excursion”, as the President called it.

And the nonstop cycle of 24/7 readiness and operational activities can take a toll on human morale and performance. Accidents happen, injuries can occur, lives can be lost.

Now we are getting reports of shortages of basic supplies, water contamination, inadequate rations, plumbing issues such as clogged toilets and moldy showers, deck safety concerns, and disruptions in the mail system. This can lead to a decrement in performance, but it has also led to deteriorating mental health to a point where at least one sailor jumped overboard from the flight deck. 8 plus months without a break or a port call for liberty – on high alert 24/7 – is very wearing.

Currently, our Commander in Chief shows immense disregard for those on this extended and dangerous deployment. The President, who was about to depart the Washington area for an event in New York, was asked recently whether he was concerned about the crew’s mental health and whether he thought the deployment had gone on too long. “No. No. No,” he said. “Not nearly long enough.”

Speaking at an event in Garden City, N.Y., recently, Mr. Trump continued to defend the war and boast about its progress. “Pretty soon I’ll be declaring the Hormuz Strait a territory of the United States,” he told the crowd, referring to a critical maritime route for global oil supplies that Iran effectively blocked over the course of the war. And still controls- now and most likely well into the future. Sort of like a “Special Military Operation” in another conflict zone that another tyrant says “he is winning.”

Makes me want to swear like a sailor.

That the President and Secretary of Defense seemingly don’t care about the people they send to war, downplaying the concerns of families about deterioration of shipboard conditions, and then lie to everyone about the current situation – which only makes it worse.

I see and understand how this stressful deployment that lacks support from leadership will seriously worsen the conditions of the ship itself, the physical condition of its people, and effect their mental health status. We will likely see more accidents and more mental health “incidents” because of the length of the deployment, the deteriorating living conditions, and lack of a leadership team that seems to not care about those it sends into harm’s way.

Dr. Michael Baker is retired from a 40-year career in general, vascular and trauma surgery. He also served 30 years in the uniform of his country and retired with the rank of Rear Admiral. He teaches advanced trauma life support (ATLS) in the United States around the world and has had five tours in Ukraine teaching ATLS to physicians in that war-torn nation

_{Use of military rank, job titles, and photographs in uniform do not imply endorsement by the Department of the Navy or the Department of Defense.}