8 U.S. Navy Sailors Attempted Suicide During USS Abraham Lincoln Combat Deployment Against Iran

Eight US Navy personnel assigned to the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group attempted suicide during the ship’s long deployment, Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao told Congress.

Cao said none of the sailors died by suicide.

He gave the figure in a written response to Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, who had asked about the mental health and morale of sailors during the deployment.

The eight sailors were from different parts of the carrier strike group. They included sailors from the USS Abraham Lincoln, its carrier air wing, strike group and destroyer squadron staffs, escorting destroyers and embarked aviation squadrons.

About 6,000 to 7,000 sailors served across roughly six ships during the deployment.

The carrier had been at sea for more than six months. During that time, it took part in combat operations against Iran and spent long periods without regular port calls.

The USS Abraham Lincoln left California in November. It first headed towards the South China Sea before being sent to the Middle East ahead of US attacks on Iran in February.

The deployment was supposed to end in May but was extended several times.

Regular port calls give sailors a chance to rest, get supplies and spend time away from their ships. The Lincoln did not have those breaks for long periods during the deployment.

Cao said the sailors had access to several mental health and support services.

The group had five chaplains, an integrated prevention counsellor, a psychologist, a clinical social worker, three behavioural health technicians and an expeditionary facility dog.

The Navy had earlier said it had not seen an increase in suicidal thoughts or suicide attempts aboard the Lincoln. It also said medical, religious and mental health staff were available to help sailors.

There were also several incidents involving sailors going overboard.

Cao said a sailor from the carrier air wing went overboard in early August. The sailor was quickly recovered and treated by the carrier’s medical department.

In March, another sailor tried to go overboard but was stopped by fellow crew members. The sailor later received medical care.

Two other sailors assigned to the strike group were reported to have gone overboard in separate incidents and were rescued. Other sailors were reportedly stopped from jumping.

These incidents came after families and crew members raised concerns about conditions aboard the carrier.

One crew member told CNN that morale was low and that sailors had repeatedly talked about suicidal thoughts.

The sailor also described problems with basic facilities, including closed toilets and water fountains and frequent shortages of hot water.

Other crew members said the deployment was different from earlier missions because the carrier was involved in combat operations and could not make regular port calls.

Cao rejected reports of plumbing problems and shortages of fresh food aboard the Lincoln.

He did acknowledge temporary localised piping failures and problems with the ship’s reverse-osmosis desalination units.
He also said some meal options were reduced for a short time.

The Navy had previously acknowledged supply problems aboard the carrier but rejected claims that there was a mental health crisis.

Gillibrand, who sits on the Senate Armed Services Committee, criticised the administration’s earlier response to reports about conditions aboard the carrier.

She said concerns that had been dismissed as “fake news” were instead serious problems affecting service members.

The Lincoln had about 5,000 personnel aboard. The carrier strike group had about 6,000 to 7,000 sailors across roughly six ships.

Suicide remains a leading cause of death in the US Navy and Marine Corps, according to an analysis of military data by USNI News.

The US Department of Veterans Affairs has also reported higher suicide rates among veterans than among Americans who have not served in the military.

A study of 956 sailors released in January 2025 found that sailors aboard US Navy ships had the highest rates of “serious psychological distress” compared with personnel in other branches of the US military.

References: Free Press Journal, BBC