Jefferson Kelley wants his son home and is willing to trade places with the Navy sailor.
Kelley, of Cincinatti, Ohio, wrote a letter Aug. 13 addressed to Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio) that includes a rather unique proposal: He wants to switch spots with his son, Jackson, 20, due to ongoing reported conditions aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln that has exceeded 250 days of deployment. He calls it a “parent swap.”
The vessel has drawn widespread attention in recent days due to various reports regarding limited food rations, safety concerns, water contamination and poor mental health, which has purportedly led to some sailors attempting to jump overboard.
Kelley told Military.com, which also was provided the letter, that he addressed it to Moreno specifically because he is his state’s senator, using the correspondence as a starting point to hopefully garner more attention from lawmakers and military officials. Some politicians in Washington have already called for more oversight of the ongoing conditions aboard the Lincoln.
A Moreno spokesperson told Military.com that the senator would look into Kelley’s concerns.
The letter that Kelley wrote, titled “Take Me Instead,” is three pages long and invites the opportunity for the father of four to switch places with Jackson for the duration of his deployment.
“My son is currently serving aboard the Abraham Lincoln, and I want to make something unmistakably clear: this request comes entirely from me,” the letter reads. “My son has not complained to me or our family about conditions aboard the ship. He has not asked me to contact you or intervene on his behalf.
“Nothing in this letter should be interpreted as criticism from him of his command, the Navy, or his responsibilities as a sailor. He continues to do his duty, and I am extraordinarily proud of him. I am writing simply as his father.”
‘I Am Offering Myself’
Jefferson mentions how Jackson, who graduated from Navy ‘A’ school in 2025 and enlisted in the Navy around October 2025, has not seen his family for many months—including his older brother, 11-year-old sister, 9-year-old brother, mother, stepmother, grandfather, aunt, uncle and cousins.
Jefferson’s plea, essentially, is for him to take his child’s place. He makes the case that if anyone should be away from the extended family, it should be him rather than his son.
“I believe strongly that a parent should never ask his child to endure something that he would be unwilling to endure himself,” the letter continued. “My son volunteered to serve his country, and I understand and respect the obligations that came with that decision.
“I am not asking that those obligations simply disappear or that someone else’s son or daughter assume them. I am offering myself.”
While acknowledging the training, qualifications, discipline and physical requirements associated with being in the military, Jefferson said he “would never ask the Navy to compromise them.”
Instead, he offers roughly 20 years of professional information technology experience and a career built around systems, network troubleshooting, security-minded technical analysis, and designing and evaluating AI-assisted systems and workflows. He’s obviously not a sailor but said he’s “willing to serve” in whatever necessary capacity.
What he wants, rather than a swift response of “We can’t do that,” is for Moreno’s office to help facilitate some type of mechanism to make his request a reality.
“I am asking your office to determine whether there is any lawful mechanism by which this proposal could genuinely be considered,” the letter states. “If federal law, military regulations or operational requirements ultimately make it impossible, I will accept that answer.
“But before concluding that it cannot be done, I am asking someone with the authority and knowledge to genuinely ask the question.”
An Unusual Request
It’s not lost on Jefferson that his request is beyond the pale.
When asked why he decided to write the letter in the first place and whether he genuinely thinks he’ll receive any response, he replied that he generally feels helpless as more news rolls out from the USS Abraham Lincoln.
“Realistically speaking, what can a parent do in a situation like this?” he said. “We’re so limited, sending care packages of snacks and beef sticks and cheese and money. That only goes so far. Talking to your constituents, talking to people in the media, that only goes so far.
“I didn’t really act or do or say anything until I felt like I had some kind of viable solution to propose, even if I didn’t think that it would be acted on or taken seriously. So, that was my solution to a problem that I felt that didn’t have a good solution to. Then, that’s when I realized my solution is going to be here. I’ll offer myself up as tribute, bring my son home to his family. I will take his place.”
He hasn’t personally spoken to Jackson about the conditions on the vessel, saying he understands his son has a duty and he didn’t want to pry or interfere. But recent news about the conditions of carriers in the Middle East has “exploded,” he said, and it’s led to him hearing from others inquiring about Jackson’s condition.
It’s a Hail Mary of sorts, to use football vernacular, and Jefferson understands that. He was born in 1977 but was bothered by the prospect of not doing anything for his son—even if he’s an adult.
“If there were anything that I could do for my sailor, it would be to face the same sacrifices that he is,” Jefferson said. “I’ve lived my life, that’s the way I think of it. I’m going to be 49, I’m old, I’ve lived my life. Those kids haven’t.”
Sentiment About Long Deployment, Iran War
Jackson’s deployment and the news emanating from the Middle East regarding these various military personnel are part of a broader conflict that has endured since the U.S. and Israel jointly struck Iran in late February.
“I’m gonna come right out and say it.: I blame Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu,” Jefferson said when asked who he holds responsible. “This war did not have to happen. … None of these kids needed to be shipped off to fight a war of choice. They did not deserve to be put in a situation where there’s no getting out of it.
“This is going to be another forever war, so I put the accountability straight on them. I’m not trying to be one of those people that’s crazy picket-sign protesting. However, I also have no problem saying that, in my opinion, they are directly responsible for what we’re in, and I wouldn’t hesitate for a second to say it directly to them, eye to eye, face to face.”
Asked how the family is taking Jackson’s absence, Jefferson said that it’s been “difficult” and caused plenty of “stress.” Jackson’s mother is also a military veteran.
“His mom and stepmom are worried,” he said. “My dad, his grandfather, is worried. We can’t even really talk about it much around his sister because she just gets so upset. She’s very emotional about it, and so is his brother.”
Sometimes, Jefferson doesn’t even know who to trust or what to believe. But his putting himself out there is something he is doing not just for his family, he said, but for all the others that have someone on a ship or aircraft carrier.
“What can we do?” he said. “We all feel like there’s nothing we can do about it. And for me, it would be me willing to get on a plane or helicopter tonight, if it meant, ‘We will put you on that ship and bring your son home.’
“We think that’s a fair trade.”
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