Letter to the editor: Trump's forever war

First published in the Brunswick Beacon, 08.24.26

Asked in March when the war would end, Trump said, “Any time I want it to end, it will end.” At the time, he meant it would end soon. He’s not saying that anymore.

Navy ships usually make a port-of-call every 30-45 days. U.S. aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln hasn’t made one for over 250 days — the longest continuous, non-stop deployment in U.S. history.

Families of Lincoln crewmembers say their loved ones complain of food shortages, broken toilets, no hot water, soap, deodorant or toothpaste — worst of all, exhaustion and the mental strain of not knowing when it will end.

“He knows what he has to do,” said one relative, “But it’s just, without a port, without stepping foot on land, without any kind of decompression, there’s never a moment of peace in your mind.”

One tearful spouse told Navy officials her husband told her “He hopes he doesn’t wake up tomorrow.”

The military papers Stars and Stripes and Navy Times reported multiple suicide attempts by sailors jumping overboard as poor conditions and mental stress on the Lincoln reach the breaking point.

One was a 19-year-old whose five-month-old baby girl was born while he was deployed. He texted his wife: “It’s really getting me, I don’t think I can do another deployment after this and I don’t even know if I can finish this deployment.”

He jumped and was rescued, but his wife said she only learned about it from another crewmember: “They didn’t inform me, they didn’t want me to know, they’re just trying to cover this up.”

Asked if family members were worried, Trump said, “No they’re not.” Asked if Lincoln’s deployment has gone on too long Trump replied: “No, no, no, not nearly long enough.”

If Trump wanted to end this war, he would. He doesn’t want to, because Iran would control the Strait of Hormuz, and everyone would know he lost. This is how presidents trap America into forever wars.

Linda McConnell Baker

Leland