Eight suicide attempts reported among sailors of USS Abraham Lincoln strike group during extended deployment

Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao disclosed to Senator Kirsten Gillibrand that eight sailors assigned to the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group attempted suicide during the ship's recent deployment, which featured sustained combat operations against Iran and a record-long period at sea. Cao noted that none of the attempts resulted in fatalities.

The eight incidents involved personnel from the carrier, its air wing, escorting destroyers, and embarked aviation squadrons, representing roughly 6,000 to 7,000 sailors deployed across six vessels. The number of attempts aligns with the Navy's 2024 suicide-attempt rate of 356 incidents among an estimated 337,000 active-duty sailors.

Cao's letter described the mental-health resources available on the strike group, including chaplains, a psychologist, a clinical social worker, behavioral health technicians and an expeditionary facility dog. The Navy has previously reported two separate man-overboard incidents that were quickly rescued, as well as other attempts that were intercepted by shipmates.

A military official familiar with the situation said the figure of eight attempts is higher than typical carrier strike group deployments, which usually see one or two incidents per year, and attributed the increase to the strain of continuous combat alerts and the lack of port calls.

The Navy declined to comment further before publication. Earlier reporting indicated that morale aboard the Lincoln had been low, with crew members citing limited access to basic amenities and uncertainty about the ship's return home. The carrier departed the Middle East in August and is expected to arrive in San Diego in the coming weeks.