US Navy Confirms Eight Suicide Attempts During USS Abraham Lincoln Deployment

The US Navy has confirmed eight suicide attempts among personnel assigned to the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group during its extended deployment, according to a letter from Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao to Democratic Senator Kirsten Gillibrand.

Cao said the figure covers the wider strike group. It includes the carrier crew, carrier air wing, strike group staff, destroyer squadron personnel, escorting destroyers and embarked aviation units.

The Navy secretary said no service member died by suicide during the deployment.

Sailors Reported Going Overboard

Cao provided details of two incidents in his response to Gillibrand.

A sailor assigned to the carrier air wing went overboard in early August. A search-and-rescue helicopter quickly recovered the sailor. The individual later received medical care and left the ship for follow-up treatment.

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Another sailor attempted to go overboard in March. Shipmates stopped the sailor and the individual later returned to the homeport, according to Cao’s letter.

The disclosure follows reports about deteriorating mental health and difficult living conditions during the unusually long deployment.

Lincoln Spent 286 Days at Sea

The USS Abraham Lincoln left California in November 2025 for a deployment that was later extended as US military operations involving Iran intensified.

The carrier spent 286 days at sea without a full port stop before reaching Thailand in early September. The prolonged deployment raised concerns among military families and lawmakers about fatigue, supplies and crew welfare.

Reports in August also raised concerns about food supplies, hygiene and other conditions aboard the vessel.

The Navy acknowledged some delays in replenishing supplies. It also said the number of meal options had temporarily been reduced to one entrée, while four nutritionally balanced meals remained available each day.

Gillibrand Questions Conditions Aboard Carrier

Gillibrand had sought information about conditions aboard the Lincoln after reports of mental health problems and shortages.

The latest Navy response confirms that suicide attempts occurred across the carrier strike group. However, the figure does not mean that all eight incidents happened aboard the aircraft carrier itself.

The Navy said its personnel remain committed to the health, wellbeing and morale of sailors.

The disclosure has renewed scrutiny of the demands placed on service members during exceptionally long deployments.