Aircraft carrier sailors reported trying to jump overboard

President Donald Trump shrugged off reports from worried families about sinking sailor morale aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln, an aircraft carrier conducting combat missions against Iran. Trump said the ship’s 260 days at sea wasn’t "nearly long enough." Sailors told their families about stressed-out crew members trying to jump overboard because of the long, intense deployment and shortages of food, clean water, and other necessities. Navy veterans and mental health professionals warned that extended sea missions take a toll on both sailors and families.

Class discussion: Can you imagine spending 260 days aboard a warship at sea, far away from your family? Could you stay focused on performing sometimes dangerous duties when you don’t know when you’ll get back to land? How does continuous stress affect a person physically and mentally? Did political leaders quickly dismiss the worries of sailors’ families because they wanted to silence any criticism of their conduct of the war with Iran? Why did opposing politicians loudly broadcast support for families and sailors? Could any of this solve problems?