Archive · 25 Sep 2026
Eight Suicide Attempts Reported During Extended USS Lincoln Deployment
The USS Abraham Lincoln is a very large United States Navy aircraft carrier.
It and other ships stayed at sea for a long time during a mission connected to the conflict involving Iran.
Navy official Hung Cao said there were eight suicide attempts across the carrier group.
The group included the carrier, aircraft units, other ships and their staffs.
The Navy said nobody died by suicide during the deployment.
One sailor went overboard and was rescued, while another was stopped by fellow sailors.
Families and Senator Kirsten Gillibrand said the long mission and difficult conditions harmed sailors' well-being.
The Navy said chaplains and mental-health professionals were available to help.
It also acknowledged some problems with pipes, water-making equipment and food choices.
Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao reported eight suicide attempts across the USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group.
The total included personnel from the carrier, air wing, command staffs, escorting destroyers and embarked aviation squadrons.
The Navy said there were no completed suicides during the deployment, although the number of individuals involved was unclear.
One sailor went overboard in August and was rescued, while another was stopped by shipmates while attempting to go overboard in March.
The Navy cited available mental-health support and acknowledged localized piping, desalination and temporary meal-option problems while disputing broader shortages.
- Who
- Personnel assigned to the USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group, including carrier, air wing, staff, destroyer and aviation-squadron personnel.
- What
- Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao disclosed eight suicide attempts during the deployment and said there were no completed suicides.
- When
- During a deployment that began in November; Cao's letter was dated September 22, and reports described the deployment as lasting 286 days or more than 300 days.
- Where
- The carrier group operated from the South China Sea toward the Middle East and later stopped in Thailand while returning to the United States.
- Why
- The deployment was extended because of changing security conditions and United States operations connected to the conflict involving Iran.
Families, Gillibrand and Critics
Navy and Trump Administration Officials
Mental-health conditions
Families, Gillibrand and Critics
Families and Senator Kirsten Gillibrand said the prolonged deployment and reported living conditions reflected serious, deteriorating mental-health concerns among service members.
Navy and Trump Administration Officials
Navy officials said support was available aboard the ships and had previously rejected claims that the carrier faced a broader mental-health crisis.
Living conditions
Families, Gillibrand and Critics
Reports and family concerns cited plumbing problems, hygiene issues and shortages of fresh food aboard the carrier.
Navy and Trump Administration Officials
Hung Cao disputed claims of widespread plumbing and fresh-food shortages but acknowledged temporary localized piping, desalination and meal-option problems.
Government response
Families, Gillibrand and Critics
Gillibrand said Donald Trump and Pete Hegseth had dismissed earlier reports as 'fake news' and treated service members disrespectfully.
Navy and Trump Administration Officials
Administration and Navy officials rejected or downplayed earlier accounts, while Cao defended the extended deployment as necessary because of changing security conditions and national-security concerns.
- Reported attempts
- Eight suicide attempts were reported across the USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group.
- Completed suicides
- The Navy said there were no suicides during the deployment.
- Deployment duration
- Reports described either 286 consecutive days or more than 300 days at sea.
- Deployment route
- The carrier left California in November, was later sent toward the Middle East and stopped in Thailand while returning.
- Reported incidents
- One sailor went overboard in August and was rescued; another attempted to go overboard in March and was stopped by shipmates.
- Mental-health support
- Five chaplains and multiple mental-health professionals were available aboard the ships.
- Acknowledged conditions
- The Navy cited localized piping failures, reverse-osmosis desalination problems and temporarily reduced meal options.
Sources
Eight USS Abraham Lincoln sailors attempted suicide, Acting Navy Secretary says
8 US sailors deployed on USS Abraham Lincoln attempted suicide, Navy secy tells Senate
US Navy says 8 sailors attempted suicide aboard carrier during prolonged West Asia deployment: What we know
8 sailors attempted suicide amid prolonged USS Lincoln deployment: US Navy
8 Suicide Bids At Lincoln Aircraft Carrier During Iran Deploymen: Team Trump
Eight US Navy sailors attempted suicide during USS Abraham Lincoln deployment, says Navy chief
