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Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao informed Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-New York) that the USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group experienced eight attempted suicides from the time it started deploying in November of last year. According to CBS News, Cao sent her the letter. The disclosure represents another warning about the mental-health pressures sailors can face during lengthy deployments. Below are the key details:
• Who is included? The eight attempts included crew members of the carrier; members of the Air Wing; as well as sailors serving on the destroyers providing escort for the carrier. Fortunately, there have been no fatalities resulting from these suicidal attempts.
• When did they occur? A Defense Official stated that two of the suicidal attempts occurred while engaged in combat with Iran.
The Strain of Deployment: The USS Abraham Lincoln has been deployed for over nine months; including over 250 consecutive days at sea this year. Much of those days were spent in the Middle East assisting in support of the United States’ War Against Iran.
There have also been reported issues of food shortages; supply chain failures and even broken plumbing onboard.
• Families Raise Concerns: Families of the crew had expressed their concern about an increasing issue of worsening mental health conditions aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln, which Congressional Democrats found alarming. Gillibrand stated that she felt that the working and living conditions that Trump and Defense Secretary Hegseth referred to as “fake news”, ultimately proved to be true and are continuing to deteriorate. The families’ concerns provide another warning about the potential toll of extended deployments and difficult living conditions.
• Pentagon Response: The Pentagon denies that there has been an increase in suicidal attempts. They claim that all personnel have access to counseling and chaplaincy services. The Navy referenced a video Cao posted on X stating, “We must confront the rising tide of suicide head-on.”
• Current Location of Ship: The USS Abraham Lincoln was relieved by the USS George Washington late last month. In early September, the Lincoln made a stop in Thailand; arrived in Guam earlier this week and will arrive at its homeport of San Diego later. Cao stated that the specific date and time of when and where the USS Abraham Lincoln arrives back home is classified information.
CNN was the first to report on the number of attempted suicides, and a Navy official confirmed that Cao sent her the letter on Tuesday.
“Higher than typical for a carrier deployment,” according to a military official
Are eight suicide attempts in less than a year normal?
Yes and no.
Compared with the whole Navy
In 2024, the latest year with released data, the active-duty Navy had 356 suicide attempts among about 337,000 sailors, CNN reported. That’s about 1 attempt per 1,000 sailors per year. The Lincoln strike group has 6,000 to 7,000 sailors. At the Navy-wide rate, a group that size would expect roughly 5 to 7 attempts over a deployment of about 10 months. Eight is a bit above that. But CNN called the Lincoln group’s rate “roughly consistent” with the Navy’s 2024 rate, and that helps explain why the Pentagon says there has been no increase.
Compared with other carrier deployments
A U.S. military official told CNN that recent strike group deployments have had one or two attempts per year and called eight “incredibly high”. The official said combat operations add far more strain than a normal deployment, with “no port calls, constant alerts, etc.” By this comparison, the Lincoln’s number is about four to eight times the usual. That comparison could serve as a warning about the additional psychological strain associated with prolonged combat operations.
Carriers have had problems before
Navy suicide rate: Deaths by suicide in the Navy fell to 18.2 per 100,000 in 2024, from 20.4 in 2023.
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USS George Washington: At least four crew members died by suicide over 12 months in 2021–22. And an investigation found the ship’s mental health system was overworked.
All carriers: 42 sailors assigned to aircraft carriers died by suicide from 2017 to April 2022.
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