The USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group reported eight suicide attempts among its personnel during a 10-month deployment, according to a letter from Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao to Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand. None resulted in fatalities, but the disclosure marks the first official acknowledgment of severe mental health struggles aboard the ship, which departed San Diego in November 2025 for missions including combat operations against Iran.
The letter, sent Tuesday, covers the carrier’s crew, its air wing, staff from escorting destroyers, and aviation squadrons. Families of sailors based in San Diego had previously raised concerns for months about declining morale, food shortages, and self-harm risks as the deployment exceeded its planned timeline. The Lincoln arrived in Guam in its 10th month.
Two incidents involved sailors attempting to go overboard. One was recovered in August and medically evacuated after treatment aboard. Another was stopped in March by crewmates before being flown off for further care. The letter details the mental health staff available: five chaplains, one embedded prevention counselor, one psychologist, one clinical social worker, and three behavioral health technicians. Only the psychologist and social worker held full clinical licenses, and a deployed resiliency counselor departed mid-deployment without replacement, a sailor told Navy Times.
This contradicts an August statement from Navy officials, who claimed no increase in reported suicidal ideation or attempts aboard the ship. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth dismissed concerns as “misrepresented.” Gillibrand rejected that response, saying, “What Trump and Secretary Hegseth dismissed as ‘fake news’ turned out to be serious and deteriorating conditions for our service members,” in a statement to Military Times. The Navy has not explained how its August statement and the new count fit together.
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Sailors returning home face additional challenges. Sleep disturbances, irritability, and emotional withdrawal often emerge during reintegration, sometimes catching families unaware. The Navy’s crisis line—988 and press 1—and text support at 838255 operate 24 hours a day, but mental health professionals told Military Times that long deployments are overwhelming the Navy’s mental health system. Aboard the Lincoln, waits to see a clinician could last weeks for those not in crisis, according to a sailor.
Families should watch for warning signs, including discussions of death, giving away possessions, sudden mood changes, or increased substance use. Directly asking about suicidal thoughts does not heighten risk; it enables intervention. The Navy’s Fleet and Family Support Centers and Military OneSource can provide further guidance.
The eight attempts occurred across multiple elements of the strike group, including the carrier’s crew, its air wing, and personnel from escorting destroyers and aviation squadrons. Only the psychologist and social worker were fully licensed clinicians, a limitation that may have reduced the quality of care. The absence of a deployed resiliency counselor, who left mid-deployment without replacement, further weakened the ship’s ability to address non-crisis mental health needs.