Eight service members from USS Abraham Lincoln strike group attempted suicide — Jerusalem Post

In the United States, eight U.S. Navy service members assigned to the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group attempted suicide during its record-long deployment. Acting U.S. Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao reported this in a letter to Congress, the Jerusalem Post reports.

Who the data covers

According to Cao, these were attempts among the crew of the USS Abraham Lincoln itself, its air wing, the strike group headquarters and destroyer squadron, escort ships, and all aviation squadrons deployed aboard. In total, this formation included between 6,000 and 7,000 service members.

In a comment to CNN, one U.S. military official called the number of attempts “extraordinarily high.” He linked the significant strain to combat operations, the absence of port calls, and constant alerts. At the same time, CNN noted that the rate of attempts was approximately comparable to that for the entire active-duty U.S. Navy in 2024, the latest year for which such data are available.

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Support and officials’ statements

The letter emphasizes that there were no suicides during the strike group’s deployment. According to Newsweek, Cao also reported on the mental health support resources available on the Lincoln: five chaplains, a prevention counselor, a psychologist, a clinical social worker, three behavioral health technicians, and a service dog.

The letter was a response to an inquiry from New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, who raised questions about conditions aboard the aircraft carrier in August. Reports subsequently emerged of a deteriorating psychological state and morale among the crew. U.S. President Donald Trump, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and Central Command chief Brad Cooper denied this. The USS Abraham Lincoln has already been replaced by the USS George Washington, and the Lincoln is heading to the United States.