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MIKE DROP NEWSROOM | 09 OCTOBER 2026
The USS Abraham Lincoln is home after 322 days, the longest carrier deployment of the Iran war. Its strike group sank 64 Iranian warships and fired 450 Tomahawks, and the Navy confirmed eight sailors attempted suicide on a deployment marked by rationed meals, broken plumbing and two extensions.
Former Navy SEAL Mike Ritland, who trained aboard the Lincoln himself, breaks down what the crew accomplished, why the administration shouldn’t wave away their complaints, and why holding back strikes until after the midterms puts politics ahead of the troops.
Mike’s take: long wartime deployments come with the job, but if you send sailors to war, give them ships and support that match what they’re up against. Dismissing their complaints as fake is the wrong answer. On reports that the Pentagon has Iran strike options ready but won’t act before Nov. 3, Mike says timing military action around an election should infuriate everyone. He knows the cost firsthand: he lost two close friends, Glen Doherty and Ty Woods, at Benghazi, where he says politics shaped the decisions. He also weighs in on the Pentagon’s plan to livestream the firing-squad execution of Fort Hood shooter Nidal Hasan.
Should strikes wait until after the election? Should an execution be livestreamed? Tell us in the comments. Mike reads them.
If you or someone you know is struggling, the Veterans Crisis Line is available 24/7: dial 988 and press 1.
Timestamps
0:00 The USS Abraham Lincoln comes home
0:25 64 Iranian warships, 450 Tomahawks, and the hardships
0:50 Mike’s time aboard the Lincoln
1:40 Give sailors the ships and tools they need
2:05 “Don’t call it fake”
2:55 Pentagon readies options to restart the Iran war
3:20 Strikes on hold until after Nov. 3?
4:35 Benghazi and politics in war decisions
5:45 The Fort Hood shooter’s execution will be livestreamed
6:40 Should an execution be livestreamed?
7:25 Should Mike livestream Newsroom?
