The Navy continues to enforce a blockade on Iranian ports in the Strait of Hormuz.
Eight sailors assigned to the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group attempted suicide during its nearly nine-month deployment supporting the Iran war, according to the Navy’s top civilian leader.
Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao disclosed the figure in a letter to Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., obtained by The Associated Press. The letter answered questions Gillibrand raised after reports of crew stress, mental health concerns and supply shortages aboard the carrier.
Gillibrand specifically asked whether any sailors had died by suicide.
“There have been no suicides on board during this deployment,” Cao wrote. “Since the beginning of LINCOLN'S deployment, there have been a total of eight suicide attempts across the strike group — this number includes the LINCOLN crew and Sailors from the carrier wing, strike group and destroyer squadron staff, escorting destroyers, and all embarked aviation squadrons.”
The USS George Washington arrived in the Middle East in August to relieve the Lincoln after officials disputed reports of worsening conditions aboard the carrier.
Adm. Brad Cooper, the commander of U.S. Central Command, said in a published statement that the Lincoln had among the fewest mental health-related cases of the Navy’s 11 aircraft carriers, while praising the crew’s “awe-inspiring” work.
Trump also downplayed concerns, calling the months-long deployment a “good period of time” and saying, “Over the years, we’ve had them out there much longer.” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said reports about conditions aboard the Lincoln were “completely misrepresented.”
Gillibrand criticized both officials in a statement responding to Cao’s letter.
“What Trump and Secretary Hegseth dismissed as ‘fake news’ turned out to be serious and deteriorating conditions for our service members,” she said.
“Our troops and their families make immense sacrifices every single day, yet the president dismissed them with open disrespect,” Gillibrand added. “That this administration can find endless taxpayer dollars for bombs, ballrooms, and billionaires, but cannot take care of our service members, is completely unacceptable.”
The Navy continues to enforce a blockade on Iranian ports in the Strait of Hormuz, while the Trump administration has offered little clarity about how it plans to wind down the war.
If you or someone you know is in crisis or considering suicide, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. Service members, veterans and their families can call 988 and press 1 for the Veterans Crisis Line.
