EIGHT SUICIDE ATTEMPTS REPORTED DURING USS ABRAHAM LINCOLN’S EXTENDED DEPLOYMENT

September 24, 2026

WASHINGTON: Eight suicide attempts were recorded among personnel assigned to the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group during its extended 286-day deployment, according to a written response from Acting US Navy Secretary Hung Cao to Senator Kirsten Gillibrand. No deaths by suicide were reported during the deployment.

The figure covers personnel across the carrier strike group, including the Lincoln’s crew, carrier air wing, destroyer squadron staff, escorting destroyers and embarked aviation units. It therefore does not mean that all eight incidents occurred aboard the aircraft carrier itself. The exact number of individuals involved was not disclosed.

The nuclear-powered Nimitz-class carrier and its accompanying ships remained at sea for 286 consecutive days during a deployment that was extended amid US combat operations involving Iran. The group recently reached port in Thailand after spending months away from regular port facilities.

The disclosure has renewed attention to the pressures associated with prolonged naval deployments and the mental health of service members. The Navy has said personnel had access to mental-health and support services, while Gillibrand has called for greater scrutiny of conditions experienced by the crews during the extended mission.