NewzEight attempted suicides during US aircraft carrier's extended mission There were eight suicide attempts among US sailors on board the Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group during its extended 286 consecutive-day deployment at sea, the Pentagon told a lawmaker in a written response to questions. The nuclear-powered Lincoln, with roughly 5,000 personnel, was involved in the US naval blockade and combat operations in the war on Iran and - according to Democratic lawmakers - set a modern-day record for consecutive days at sea. The strike group includes the carrier and several other warships.
In a letter to US Democratic Senator Kirsten Gillibrand dated 22 September, Acting US Navy Secretary Hung Cao said that while there were no suicides during the deployments, there were a total of eight attempts on board the aircraft carrier and its accompanying vessels. It was unclear how many individuals carried out the attempts. "That this administration can find endless taxpayer dollars for bombs, ballrooms, and billionaires, but cannot take care of our service members, is completely unacceptable," said Gillibrand, who sits on the Senate Armed Services Committee.
Personnel and aircraft on the deck of the US Navy carrier USS Abraham Lincoln as it sails toward Laem Chabang Port before docking for a rest stop following a long deployment in the Middle East, in Chonburi province, Thailand, 2 September 2026 (Reuters) The Lincoln’s extended deployment drew the nation’s attention following reports of crew stress and poor mental health, as well as supply shortages, including food and hygiene products. WASHINGTON (AP) — Eight sailors attempted suicide while deployed with the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier strike group, which spent a record-setting uninterrupted time at sea supporting the Iran war, the Navy's top civilian leader said this week.
Kirsten Gillibrand in a letter dated Tuesday after the New York Democrat inquired last month about the strike group's crew of thousands. “Since the beginning of LINCOLN'S deployment, there have been a total of eight suicide attempts across the strike group — this number includes the LINCOLN crew and Sailors from the carrier wing, strike group and destroyer squadron staff, escorting destroyers, and all embarked aviation squadrons.”President Donald Trump had downplayed reports about conditions on the Lincoln, which left its homeport in San Diego in November, arrived in the Middle East in January in support of Iran operations, and spent a record-setting uninterrupted time at sea of more than 260 days.The carrier and some of its supporting ships stopped in Thailand in early September on their way back home to California. The Lincoln’s commanding officer, Capt.
Dan Keeler, said then that the ship will be heading home soon but may make further supply stops. He declined to comment on the exact date the strike group is expected back in the U.S.Last month, Trump called the nearly nine months at sea that the sailors endured a “good period of time” but added that “over the years, we’ve had them out there much longer.”Trump told reporters in August that he spoke with a retired admiral who recounted being on ships for “much longer.” Trump said the admiral assured him that the Lincoln is “beautifully maintained and beautifully taken care of.” Trump did not name the admiral.Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth also had said that conditions about the Lincoln were “completely misrepresented.”Gillibrand took aim at both in a statement released this week in response to Cao's …
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