Amidst all the news and controversy surrounding the United States sending troops to a naval blockade of Iran, a new controversy has erupted online over the food served to the troops. Viral posts claim and debate the quality and size of portions provided to personnel aboard US warships in the Middle East.
Picture of a dinner on the USS Abraham Lincoln that a service member shared with his family – consisting of a small handful of boiled carrots, a dry meat patty, and a gray slice of processed meat. According to reports, the coffee machine on board even broke down.
“The food is tasteless and scarce and they are constantly hungry,” one told USA Today. “It breaks your heart.
Now their families, worried that their loved ones in the Middle East don’t have enough food, are packing care boxes with essentials to help them endure long deployments.
However, these boxes are not reaching the troops because mail delivery to military postcodes across the Middle East has been suspended indefinitely.
Why were postal services suspended?
The Postal Service and the Military Postal Service Agency have halted deliveries since early April, citing airspace closures and logistical disruptions caused by the ongoing conflict.
“The resumption of postal service is dependent on the re-opening of airspace by civil authorities and the assessment of regional transport and distribution stability by the area commander,” a military spokesman said.
“However, during the suspension, no military shipments are returned to the sender. They are held until they can be delivered.”
USA Today, which reported the story first, said the Pentagon did not respond to a request for comment on the mail stoppage or reports that some U.S. vessels were running out of food.
The Abraham Lincoln is one of two aircraft carriers sent to the region along with the USS Gerald Ford. A third, the USS George HW Bush, is en route
