A Marine veteran asks: How are USS Lincoln crews being supported?

MS NOW welcomes letters from readers who want to respond to our journalism, add context, raise a thoughtful disagreement or share a perspective that may help other readers better understand an issue. Please review our submission guidelines. Then use this form to send us your letter.

To the editor:

Regarding the Aug. 5 news story “Moldy showers and no soap: Military families are outraged by conditions on USS Lincoln”:

Priya Sridhar’s reporting raises two important questions: Do the Marines described in the article receive combat pay, and what rotation schedule applies during continuous deployment at sea? Those answers matter because compensation, relief and support shape how long deployments affect service members and their families.

In 1967, I spent 90 days on ship duty in the Caribbean while serving in the Marines. At the time, Marine detachments were regularly afloat in the Caribbean and the Mediterranean. Enlisted Marines slept below decks in hammocks or cots, with no private space beyond their duffel bags. When we pulled into port every seven to 10 days, Marines were eager to go ashore, stretch their legs, breathe fresh air and call home. We had no phone service, and calling home from port was expensive. The difficult conditions weighed heavily on morale, including in one serious case that required a Marine to be sent back to Camp Lejeune for care.

That experience makes me wonder how Marines aboard the Lincoln are rotated and supported during extended deployments. In my day, Marines were allowed on deck only for physical training. Their few diversions were meals, an occasional movie and mail call, which became a major event whenever letters arrived. Tension sometimes surfaced between sailors and Marines, a reminder of how difficult extended shipboard duty could become.

Upon our return to Camp Lejeune, we resumed normal duties with no time to reconnect with our families after the deployment. I hope today’s Marines spending extended periods at sea receive clear support, fair compensation, regular opportunities to recover and timely access to care when they need it.

Michael Hyland
Cary, North Carolina

MS NOW’s Priya Sridhar responds

Thank you, Mike, for your question. While reporting, I asked the Fifth Fleet spokesman about compensation, and he told me that service members receive imminent danger pay for combat operations, including hardship duty pay-tempo for 220-plus consecutive days of deployment; and tax-free pay for deploying in the Fifth Fleet area of operations.

I have since written a follow-up story about the deployment, as families of the sailors and Marines on the Lincoln asked Navy leadership question about the deployment and when they will be able to come home. Thank you for reaching out!

To send a letter to the editor, review our submission guidelines and use this form.

The post A Marine veteran asks: How are USS Lincoln crews being supported? appeared first on MS NOW.