Navy reports eight suicide attempts in Abraham Lincoln strike group

Eight sailors assigned to the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group attempted suicide during its deployment, Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao told a U.S. senator in a letter sent Tuesday, as the carrier heads back toward its home port after more than nine months away.

The figure covers the deployment that began last November and includes personnel aboard the carrier, its air wing, escorting destroyers and other units in the strike group. No suicides occurred aboard the carrier, according to the letter obtained by CBS News. A defense official told CBS News that two of the attempts took place during active fighting with Iran.

Cao disclosed the number in response to questions from Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, a New York Democrat, about the well-being of sailors. Families of crew members had raised concerns about deteriorating mental health and conditions aboard the Lincoln during its extended time at sea.

The carrier and its thousands of crew members spent more than 250 uninterrupted days at sea this year, much of that time in the Middle East, where the strike group supported the U.S. war against Iran. The BBC reported that the Lincoln had about 5,000 crew members aboard.

Reports of food shortages, supply problems and faulty plumbing added to concerns about conditions on the ship. In his letter, Cao disputed accounts of widespread plumbing failures and shortages of fresh food, the BBC reported. He acknowledged temporary “localized piping failures,” problems with the ship’s reverse-osmosis desalination units and a “short time” when meals offered one main entree option instead of two.

Cao said five chaplains and multiple mental health professionals were available aboard the carrier to meet the crew’s “spiritual and emotional needs.” The Pentagon has said suicide attempts have not increased and that personnel have access to counselors, chaplains and other support. The Navy has also denied that a mental health crisis was taking place on the Lincoln, the BBC reported.

Gillibrand said the disclosure underscored the concerns raised about the deployment. “What Trump and Secretary Hegseth dismissed as ‘fake news’ turned out to be serious and deteriorating conditions for our service members,” she said in a statement Wednesday.

Asked for comment by CBS News, the Navy referred the outlet to a video Cao posted over the weekend. “We must confront the rising tide of suicide head-on,” he said in the video. His wife, April, also appeared and encouraged people to speak up about challenges they face.

The USS George Washington replaced the Lincoln in the Middle East, and the Lincoln left the region late last month. It docked in Thailand in early September and arrived in Guam earlier this week as it sailed toward its home port of San Diego. Cao told Gillibrand that the carrier’s exact schedule and plans for returning home are classified.