Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao said eight sailors assigned to the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group attempted suicide during its Middle East deployment, now more than 300 days long; none died by suicide. The carrier is likely to return to San Diego in about two weeks.
Cao disclosed the count in a letter answering Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand's questions about the crew's well-being. He wrote that one sailor assigned to the Lincoln's air wing went overboard in early August and was quickly recovered by a search-and-rescue helicopter; in March, another sailor tried to go overboard and was stopped by shipmates.
The Lincoln's crew spent roughly 280 days at sea, a modern record. Sailors described poor conditions and low morale, while families reported food shortages and sanitation problems. The crew conducted operations in an active combat zone for most of that time while enforcing the U.S. blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. Gillibrand criticized President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth for initially downplaying concerns about conditions.
