Eight service members attached to the USS Abraham Lincoln's battle group attempted suicide during their ongoing 10-month deployment, the acting Navy secretary said Tuesday.
Acting Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao disclosed the number in a letter to Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-New York. According to the letter, which was first published by CNN, Gillibrand had sent several questions to the secretary about conditions on the Lincoln.
The San Diego-based aircraft carrier left its berth at Naval Air Station North Island for deployment in November.
Its battle group includes other Navy ships, including the Hawaii-based guided-missile destroyer USS Frank E. Petersen, Jr.
The San Diego-based destroyer USS Spruance, which left San Diego with the Lincoln, was attached to its battle group but is now operating independently in the Middle East.
The Lincoln and its crew spent most of the last year in the Middle East conducting operations in the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran.
The ship spent a record 264 consecutive days at sea before visiting Thailand this month.
Democratic politicians raised concerns about conditions on the ship after a series of reports about poor morale, bad food and a sailor jumping overboard.
In the letter, Cao confirmed reports that one sailor attempted to jump overboard in April and that another did jump overboard in August.
Both were transferred off the ship, Cao said in the letter.
The Lincoln was recently in port in Guam, according to the Navy. It is expected back in San Diego within weeks.
According to CNN, the eight suicide attempts are roughly in line with the Navy's statistics from 2024 — the most recent year for which Pentagon data is available.
Service members face suicide risk regardless of deployment status — since 2018 it's been the leading cause of death among those on active duty, according to the Pentagon.
The consensus among experts is that support and treatment are effective in helping most people with thoughts of suicide.
Help is available at the 24-hour suicide lifeline by dialing 988.
