Navy confirms eight suicide attempts during USS Abraham Lincoln's extended Iran deployment

Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao disclosed in a letter to Senator Kirsten Gillibrand that eight personnel assigned to the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group attempted suicide during its extended deployment supporting operations against Iran. The deployment began in November 2025 and lasted over 286 days, with the crew spending more than 260 uninterrupted days at sea. Cao stated that no suicides were completed and that the attempts occurred across the strike group, including crew from the carrier, its air wing, and escorting destroyers. A defense official told CBS News that two of the suicide attempts occurred during active fighting with Iran.

The extended deployment drew widespread attention following reports of deteriorating conditions aboard the carrier. In August, military publications and sailors' families raised concerns about supply shortages including food and hygiene products, reports of mold in showers, faulty plumbing, and declining mental health among crew members. The carrier was originally scheduled to return in May but faced multiple extensions due to ongoing military operations. The Pentagon initially downplayed these reports; President Trump called the deployment "a good period of time" and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stated conditions were "completely misrepresented" by news outlets.

In his letter, Cao acknowledged "localized piping failures" and temporary reductions in meal options—from two entrée choices to one—described as a measure "to optimize endurance and ensure sustained time on station." He noted that four nutritionally balanced meals were served daily and that five chaplains and multiple mental health professionals were available to meet crew needs. Cao confirmed that one sailor jumped overboard in August and was rescued by helicopter, while another sailor's attempt to go overboard in March was prevented by shipmates.

The USS Abraham Lincoln left San Diego in November 2025, was deployed to the South China Sea initially, and moved to the Middle East in January 2026 ahead of U.S. military operations against Iran in February. The carrier stopped in Thailand in early September and arrived in Guam later that month as it sailed toward its home port in San Diego. In August, the USS George Washington was sent to relieve the Lincoln.

Senator Gillibrand, a Democrat and member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, criticized the Trump administration's response to the reports. "What Trump and Secretary Hegseth dismissed as 'fake news' turned out to be serious and deteriorating conditions for our service members," she stated. She emphasized that service members and their families make significant sacrifices and that the treatment was "completely unacceptable." The Navy stated its commitment to sailor health, wellbeing, and morale in response to the disclosure.