Navy says eight USS Abraham Lincoln carrier group sailors attempted suicide

A total of eight sailors attempted to kill themselves during the USS Abraham Lincoln’s extended deployment, according to a Tuesday letter from acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao. The letter, addressed to Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., and dated Tuesday, answered congressional concerns over the well-being of sailors, after concerns emerged over the aircraft carrier group’s conditions amid its record-breaking deployment of more than nine months. That length of time represents the longest such deployment since the Cold War.

The conditions aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln gained attention after family members shared reports from sailors of disruptions and shortages of food, hygiene items, and mail. U.S. Central Command head Admiral Brad Cooper previously reported the Abraham Lincoln as having the lowest rate of mental health issues among the Navy’s 11 aircraft carriers, according to an August statement.

What else did the letter discuss? Cao assured the senator of the carrier’s continued readiness and elaborated on the mental health resources available to sailors. The carrier deployed with five chaplains, one psychologist, one clinical social worker, and three behavioral health technicians, Cao reported. The Lincoln also housed an embedded integrated prevention counselor, who focused on proactive wellness, along with an expeditionary facility dog that lived and worked alongside sailors.

He also confirmed that there were no successful suicide attempts across the strike group during the deployment. Cao characterized the order and discipline aboard the Lincoln as strong, with a professional and resilient crew. The Lincoln maintained adequate food supplies, though one major combat operation limited the chance to resupply, causing cooks to temporarily offer only one choice of entree rather than two, Cao reported. The carrier served four nutritionally balanced meals every day with portions meeting military regulation requirements, he added.

Cao also acknowledged that early in the carrier’s deployment, the ship suffered localized piping failures and issues with reverse osmosis desalination units, which he said the ship’s engineers had fixed. The potable water supply remained safe, which daily testing continued to confirm, he noted.

How has the Navy responded to the letter’s public release? A Navy official confirmed the letter’s authenticity to WORLD in a Thursday night statement and pointed WORLD to a video Cao released on Sunday on suicide prevention. Cao characterized suicide as the enemy within, and reiterated the Navy’s commitment to directly confronting suicide and safeguarding the health and morale of sailors.