Acting Navy Secretary says eight sailors on USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group attempted suicide

Acting Navy Secretary Thomas Cao disclosed in a four-page letter to Senator Kirsten Gillibrand that eight sailors attached to the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group attempted suicide during an extended deployment. The figure encompasses personnel across the aircraft carrier itself, its carrier air wing, strike group and destroyer squadron staff, escorting destroyers, and all embarked aviation squadrons.

The disclosure brings heightened scrutiny to the mental health challenges and operational pressures faced by service members undergoing prolonged deployments at sea. The details emerged through formal congressional correspondence, prompting public attention regarding the welfare of personnel operating within the strike group.