Eight sailors from the USS Abraham Lincoln strike group tried to take their own lives, the Navy’s top official confirmed in a humiliating admission for Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth.
The Nimitz-class carrier and a flotilla of warships comprised the bulk of the strike force for Donald Trump’s war against Iran and the counter-blockade around the Strait of Hormuz.
The Lincoln was put to sea for almost 300 days, raising concerns about deteriorating conditions aboard that culminated in reports that some sailors had tried to take their own lives.
Attempts across the wider strike group were confirmed by acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao in a letter dated Tuesday, obtained by CNN in response to questioning by Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York.
“Since the beginning of Lincoln’s deployment, there have been a total of eight suicide attempts across the strike group,” Cao wrote in reply to the Senate Armed Services Committee member. “This number includes the Lincoln crew and sailors from the carrier airwing, strike group and destroyer squadron staff, escorting destroyers and all embarked aviation squadrons.”
No service members were killed during the deployment, although one sailor is understood to have gone overboard, only to be rescued moments later.
Cao said that one had gone overboard in August but was “quickly recovered,” while another had tried to do so earlier in the year.
“Additionally, one sailor attempted to go overboard in March and was stopped by his shipmates. That sailor was also provided immediate medical care and subsequently returned to homeport.”
Around 6,000 to 7,000 sailors were deployed on around six ships as part of the strike group, according to CNN.
The network reports that of the 337,000 service members in the Navy in 2024, there were 356 suicide attempts. It notes that the rate aboard the Lincoln’s strike group during the deployment is roughly consistent with the 2024 rate.
According to NavyHR, there were 68 suicides in 2023 and 71 in 2022.
Elsewhere in his letter, Cao said that as part of its mental health safeguarding, “The LINCOLN deployed with five chaplains, one embedded integrated prevention counselor, one psychologist, one clinical social worker, three behavioral health technicians, and one expeditionary facility dog.”
In August, prior to the suicide attempts having been confirmed, Defense Secretary Hegseth claimed that the media’s coverage of the situation onboard had “completely misrepresented” the situation.
He added: “We make sure every ship, every crew, every captain has everything we can provide them at every single moment.”
“What Trump and Secretary Hegseth dismissed as ‘fake news’ turned out to be serious and deteriorating conditions for our service members,” Gillibrand told CNN Wednesday.
“Our troops and their families make immense sacrifices every single day, yet the president dismissed them with open disrespect. 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 Daily Beast has contacted the Navy for comment.
If you or a loved one are struggling with suicidal thoughts, please reach out to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline by dialing or texting 988.
