Eight U.S. Navy sailors assigned to the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group attempted suicide during its extended deployment, according to Acting Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao.
Cao disclosed the figure in a letter to Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, responding to questions about morale and mental-health conditions among sailors serving with the strike group. The deployment included U.S. combat operations against Iran.
Eight Attempts Across the Strike Group
The figure does not refer only to sailors serving aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln itself.
According to Cao, the eight cases involved personnel assigned across the broader carrier strike group, including the aircraft carrier, its air wing, escort ships and other attached units.
The strike group involved roughly 6,000 to 7,000 personnel, according to reporting on Cao’s response. No sailors died by suicide during the deployment.
Months at Sea Under Difficult Conditions
The deployment placed extraordinary demands on the crew.
The USS Abraham Lincoln left San Diego in November 2025 and was later sent to the Middle East. By August, it had spent more than 250 days deployed and more than 200 consecutive days without a port visit, according to Stars and Stripes. Carrier crews would normally receive port visits more frequently when operational conditions allow.
Earlier reports from sailors and family members described long working hours, disrupted mail service, shortages involving some basic supplies and extended periods without opportunities for rest ashore.
Families Had Raised Concerns Earlier
Concerns about sailors’ mental health had already surfaced before the Navy disclosed the number of suicide attempts.
In August, Military Times reported accounts from family members who said multiple sailors had attempted to go overboard or had been stopped by shipmates. At the time, the Navy did not provide a specific number of suicide attempts and said it had not identified an increase in reported suicidal ideation or attempts aboard the carrier.
The new disclosure provides the clearest official figure so far.
Lawmakers Asked the Navy for Answers
The situation also drew attention on Capitol Hill.
Lawmakers asked Navy leadership for information about the repeated extensions of the deployment, crew fatigue, living conditions, mental health, medical issues and whether operational demands were placing excessive pressure on sailors.
Sen. Richard Blumenthal separately sought answers about the carrier’s lengthy deployment and reports involving water, plumbing, mail, fatigue and crew morale.
Navy Says Support Was Available
The Navy has said sailors aboard the carrier had access to medical personnel, counselors, chaplains and family-support services.
Extended deployments are inherently demanding, but the disclosure that eight members of one carrier strike group attempted suicide places renewed attention on the human cost of maintaining prolonged military operations at sea.
The USS George Washington later arrived in the Middle East to relieve the Abraham Lincoln, which had spent months operating in the region.
Sources: CNN; U.S. Navy; Stars and Stripes; Military Times.
By NJ RADAR Team