Eight US Navy personnel assigned to the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group attempted suicide during the group’s extended deployment, according to a letter from Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao to Senator Kirsten Gillibrand.
The letter, dated Tuesday and obtained by CNN and other US media, was sent in response to Gillibrand’s questions about the morale and mental health of personnel serving with the carrier strike group.
No Suicide Deaths Reported
Cao said there had been no suicide deaths during the deployment. The eight attempts occurred across the broader carrier strike group rather than solely among personnel aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln.
The figure includes members of the carrier’s crew, carrier air wing, strike group and destroyer squadron staffs, escorting destroyers, and embarked aviation squadrons.
US officials said the strike group includes roughly 6,000–7,000 personnel and has spent an unusually long period deployed. The USS Abraham Lincoln itself spent 286 days at sea before docking in Thailand in early September.
Two Overboard Incidents
Cao’s letter provided details about two incidents involving personnel going overboard.
One sailor attempted to go overboard in March but was stopped by fellow crew members and later received medical care. In early August, another sailor went overboard and was rescued by a search-and-rescue helicopter before being transferred off the ship for follow-up care.
The disclosure comes amid concerns raised in recent months about the prolonged deployment, living conditions and mental health of personnel aboard the carrier. The Navy has said it has provided counselors, chaplains and other behavioral-health resources to personnel.
The carrier strike group was deployed in the Middle East for operations related to the US war with Iran before being relieved by another carrier group and beginning its journey back toward the United States.
