Eight US Navy sailors assigned to the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group attempted suicide during a deployment that included combat operations against Iran, according to Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao.

According to media, Cao disclosed the figure in a letter to Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, saying the eight attempts involved personnel from across the strike group, including the carrier, air wing, escorting destroyers and other units.

“Since the beginning of Lincoln’s deployment, there have been a total of eight suicide attempts across the strike group," Cao wrote in the letter to Gillibrand.

No sailor died by suicide during the deployment, which involved between 6,000 and 7,000 personnel across several ships.

Record Deployment Raises Mental Health Concerns

The USS Abraham Lincoln spent more than six months at sea during a deployment that included combat operations against Iran. The prolonged mission and limited port visits have led to concerns about the wellbeing of sailors.

Media had reported that the number of suicide attempts was broadly in line with the rate across the active-duty Navy in 2024, when there were 356 reported attempts among an estimated 337,000 sailors

One US military official told media that carrier strike group deployments had typically seen one or two suicide attempts a year, adding that combat operations could bring greater strain because of constant alerts and a lack of port calls.

Cao’s letter said the Lincoln had several mental health resources available, including chaplains, a psychologist, a clinical social worker, behavioural health technicians and a prevention counsellor.

Navy Pushes Back On Claims

The Navy had previously disputed suggestions that the deployment caused an increase in suicidal behaviour.

“We have not observed an increase in suicidal ideations or attempts aboard the ship," the Navy had said in a statement to media, adding that “religious, medical and mental health professionals" were available to support sailors.

Cao also confirmed that one sailor went overboard in August but was quickly recovered and treated by the ship’s medical team. Another sailor attempted to go overboard in March but was stopped by shipmates and received immediate medical care.

The Lincoln has since left the Middle East and is expected to return to its home port in San Diego in the coming weeks.

Source: CNN