Eight US Navy Sailors on USS Abraham Lincoln Attempted Suicide During Extended Deployment

Acting US Navy Secretary Hùng Cao has stated that eight military personnel assigned to the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group attempted suicide during an extended deployment in the Middle East. This information was conveyed in a letter dated September 22 to Senator Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, who had sent a questionnaire regarding the health and welfare of sailors aboard the ship amid growing concerns. Relatives of sailors had previously raised alarms about deteriorating mental health and harsh conditions during a prolonged mission in the Middle East, part of the US operation in Iran. The USS Abraham Lincoln, deployed in November 2025, is currently returning to the United States. In his letter, Hùng Cao stated that five chaplains and multiple mental health professionals were on board to meet the "spiritual and emotional needs of the crew." He clarified that the eight sailors who attempted suicide included "the crew of the Lincoln and sailors assigned to the air wing, the strike group, the destroyer squadron, escorting destroyers, and all air squadrons deployed aboard." While the US Navy had previously acknowledged challenges with supplies on the aircraft carrier, it denied that a mental health crisis had occurred on the Lincoln, which has approximately 5,000 crew members. Hùng Cao's letter also refuted widespread concerns about plumbing failures and shortages of fresh food, though he admitted to temporary "localized pipe failures" and issues with the reverse osmosis desalination system, confirming that some meal options were reduced for a "short period." Senator Gillibrand, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, criticized previous Trump administration responses to reports of harsh living conditions, calling the treatment of service members "completely unacceptable." "What Mr. Trump and Secretary Hegseth dismissed as 'fake news' turns out to be serious and worsening problems for our service members," she said in a statement to the BBC on September 23. "Our troops and their families sacrifice so much every day, yet the President is dismissing them with public disrespect," she added. The USS Abraham Lincoln departed California in November 2025 for the South China Sea and was deployed to the Middle East ahead of attacks on Iran in February 2026. The deployment, initially scheduled to end in May 2026, was extended multiple times. In August 2026, the USS George Washington was sent to replace the USS Abraham Lincoln after it completed its nine-month deployment. Sailors on the Lincoln visited Thailand en route home, frequenting bars, shopping centers, and beach areas during their first shore leave before continuing their journey back to the US. According to a USNI News analysis of military data, suicide remains one of the leading causes of death in the US Navy and Marine Corps, while the Department of Veterans Affairs reports that veterans have a higher suicide rate than Americans who have not served in the military. A study of 956 sailors published in January 2025 found that US Navy personnel experienced "serious psychological distress" at the highest rate compared to other branches of the US military. The study cited "unique stressors, such as poor living conditions, noise, and demanding schedules that prevent sufficient sleep and rest."