8 sailors assigned to USS Abraham Lincoln strike group attempted suicide, Navy secretary tells Congress

Key Points:

• Eight US Navy personnel from the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group attempted suicide during a deployment involving combat operations against Iran and a record time at sea, according to a letter from Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao.
• The number of suicide attempts is roughly consistent with the Navy’s overall 2024 suicide attempt rate, but is considered "incredibly high" for a carrier strike group, which typically sees one or two attempts per year.
• The Lincoln strike group, comprising 6,000 to 7,000 sailors across multiple ships, was kept out of port for over six months, leading to increased strain from continuous combat operations, no port calls, and constant alerts.
• Mental health resources aboard the carrier included chaplains, psychologists, social workers, behavioral health technicians, and an expeditionary facility dog, yet sailors reported low morale and challenging living conditions such as limited access to toilets, water fountains, and hot water.
• Two sailors reportedly jumped overboard during the deployment but were rescued, and other suicide attempts were prevented; the Navy maintains there is no observed increase in suicidal ideation or attempts and denies a correlation between deployment length and self-harm thoughts.