Navy Reports Eight Suicide Attempts in USS Lincoln Strike Group

Eight sailors attempted suicide while serving with the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier strike group during its record-setting uninterrupted deployment at sea in support of operations against Iran, the Navy's top civilian leader has said.

Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao disclosed the figure in a letter dated Tuesday to Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, who had asked last month about conditions for the strike group's crew of thousands. Cao wrote that no suicides had occurred aboard during the deployment, but that eight suicide attempts had been recorded across the strike group since it set sail. That count, he said, covers the Lincoln's crew as well as sailors from the carrier air wing, strike group and destroyer squadron staff, escorting destroyers and all embarked aviation squadrons.

The Lincoln left its homeport in San Diego in November, reached the Middle East in January for Iran operations and spent more than 260 consecutive days at sea — a record. The carrier and some supporting ships stopped in Thailand in early September on the way back to California. The Lincoln's commanding officer, Capt. Dan Keeler, said at the time that the ship would head home soon but might make further supply stops, and declined to give an exact return date.

The extended deployment drew national attention after reports of crew stress, poor mental health and shortages of supplies including food and hygiene products. President Donald Trump downplayed those accounts, describing the nearly nine months at sea as a "good period of time" and saying ships had been deployed far longer in the past. He said in August that a retired admiral had assured him the Lincoln was well maintained and cared for, without naming the admiral. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth also said conditions aboard the carrier had been "completely misrepresented."

Gillibrand responded to Cao's letter with a statement criticizing both officials, saying that what they had dismissed as "fake news" turned out to be serious and deteriorating conditions for service members. She said troops and their families make immense sacrifices daily, accused the president of treating them with open disrespect, and argued it was unacceptable that the administration could find money for bombs and billionaires but not for service members.

Long carrier deployments place sustained strain on personnel separated from home for extended periods and add wear to ships and equipment. The Navy continues to enforce a blockade on Iranian ports in the Strait of Hormuz, and the administration has offered no clarity on how it intends to wind down the war.

_If you or someone you know needs help, the national suicide and crisis lifeline in the U.S. is available by calling or texting 988, with online chat at 988lifeline.org._