Eight personnel from the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier strike group have attempted suicide during their long-term mission in the Middle East. This information was presented in a letter to Kirsten Gillibrand, the Senator from New York, on Tuesday, highlighting the concerns of the sailors' families regarding the mental health status and the difficult conditions present in this mission.
Family Concerns and Difficult Mission Conditions
The families of the sailors had previously expressed concerns about the deterioration of mental health and the challenging conditions of their long mission. The USS Abraham Lincoln has been stationed in the region since last November and is now returning to the United States. This mission is part of U.S. military actions regarding Iran.
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Hang Kao, the head of the U.S. Navy, stated in his letter that there have been five chaplains and several mental health specialists on board to address the spiritual and emotional needs of the personnel. He also referenced the overall statistics of suicide attempts, noting that these figures include the ship's crew, sailors from the air unit, and all air squadrons stationed on the ship.
Challenges Related to Supply Logistics and Mental Health Crisis
The U.S. Navy had previously acknowledged challenges related to supply logistics on this ship but denied a mental health crisis aboard the Abraham Lincoln. Hang Kao dismissed concerns regarding plumbing system failures and shortages of fresh food but acknowledged temporary breakdowns and issues in the desalination units, as well as a reduction in the variety of some meals for a short period.
Senator Gillibrand, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, criticized the previous government's responses to this crisis, calling the treatment of military personnel "completely unacceptable." She stated, "What Trump and Hegst dismissed as 'fake news' was, in fact, a dire situation for our military forces."
This aircraft carrier left California for the South China Sea last November and was deployed to the Middle East before attacks on Iran in February. The mission of this ship, which was supposed to end in May, has been extended multiple times. In August, the USS George Washington aircraft carrier was dispatched to replace the USS Abraham Lincoln, which had completed a nine-month mission.
American sailors stopped in Thailand on their way back home and for the first time in a long while set foot on land, visiting markets, shopping centers, and beaches. Analyses show that suicide remains one of the leading causes of death in the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps.
According to statistics from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, the suicide rate among former soldiers is higher than that of other Americans without military service. A study published in January 2025 on 956 sailors showed that personnel stationed on U.S. Navy ships experience the highest levels of "severe psychological stress."
This study referred to "unique stressors" that include poor living conditions on the ship, noise, and intense work schedules that leave little time for sleep and rest.
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