Eight U.S. Navy members assigned to the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group attempted suicide during their prolonged deployment, according to a letter sent by Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao to Senator Kirsten Gillibrand and reported by outlets including BBC News and NBC New York. No sailors died by suicide during the mission, and the total number of attempts includes personnel from the carrier crew, the carrier air wing, strike group and destroyer squadron staff, escorting destroyers, and all embarked aviation squadrons.
Eight Suicide Attempts Recorded During Extended USS Abraham Lincoln Deployment
A gruelling 286 days at sea without a port call
The USS Abraham Lincoln left San Diego in November to operate in the South China Sea before redeploying to the Middle East in February to support operations during the U.S. war with Iran, according to NBC New York. While standard deployments typically last six to seven months with regular port calls for supplies, this mission extended to 286 days at sea without a port call, according to NBC New York and BBC News. The vessel eventually stopped in Thailand and Guam before heading back to the United States.
Families sound alarms as morale and conditions deteriorate
Family members of sailors raised alarms regarding low morale, supply shortages, and the toll of the extended timeline on mental health, as reported by BBC News and NBC New York. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand criticized previous responses from the administration regarding conditions aboard the ship, stating that the situation involved serious and deteriorating circumstances for service members.
Military leaders point to onboard mental health resources
In his letter to Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao stated that the strike group maintained resources to support crew well-being, including five chaplains, a clinical psychologist, a clinical social worker, behavioral health technicians, and an embedded integrated prevention coordination counselor, as detailed by NBC New York and BBC News.
Addressing localized failures and leadership defense
While the Navy acknowledged past supply challenges and temporary issues such as localized piping failures and reduced meal options for short periods, officials addressed broader concerns by pointing to available medical and religious professionals on board. CENTCOM commander Adm. Brad Cooper defended the military’s handling of sailor well-being in a prior op-ed published in The Wall Street Journal, noting that reported concerns had been resolved months prior.
Related reading