Eight U.S. Navy sailors attempted suicide during the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group’s extended deployment to the Middle East, according to a letter from Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao that was released to CNN. The letter, sent to Senator Kirsten Gillibrand in response to congressional inquiries about shipboard mental health, covers the entire strike group—including the aircraft carrier, its air wing, escorting destroyers and support staff—and confirms that no sailors died by suicide during the nine‑month rotation, which included active combat operations against Iran.
Cao’s response highlighted the harsh conditions faced by the crew. The deployment lasted more than nine months and included over 250 consecutive days at sea without port visits, setting a modern Navy record. Sailors reported frequent plumbing failures that shut down toilets and hot water, as well as food and supply shortages, all of which added to the strain of constant alert status and combat operations.
The Navy’s own statistics show that eight suicide attempts in a single strike group is far above the typical one or two attempts per year for such deployments. In 2024 the active‑duty Navy recorded 356 suicide attempts among roughly 337,000 sailors, a rate that matches the strike group’s experience. Cao noted that the mental‑health team aboard the group included five chaplains, a psychologist, a clinical social worker, an integrated prevention counselor, three behavioral‑health technicians and a facility dog.
The letter also documented specific over‑board incidents: in August a sailor from the air wing went overboard, was quickly recovered and received medical care, while in March another sailor was stopped by shipmates, treated and sent home. A U.S. official told CNN that man‑overboard situations occur across the fleet and that deployment length was not linked to self‑harm.
In a separate statement, the Navy said it had not observed an increase in suicidal ideation aboard the ship and that it has religious, medical and mental‑health professionals available to address concerns. Cao posted a video on X in which he urged the Navy to confront the rising tide of suicide head‑on. The USS Abraham Lincoln left the Middle East late last month after being relieved by the USS George Washington and has since stopped in Thailand and Guam on its way back to San Diego.
