Eight US sailors assigned to the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group attempted suicide during its extended deployment.
The acting Navy secretary has disclosed, raising fresh questions about conditions aboard the warship.
Hung Cao revealed the figures in a letter to Senator Kirsten Gillibrand.
This followed concerns from sailors’ families about deteriorating mental health during the lengthy Middle East mission.
The carrier, carrying about 5,000 personnel, had been deployed since November.
It saw its mission repeatedly extended after being sent from the South China Sea to the Middle East.
Cao said five chaplains and several mental health professionals were available to support sailors.
He also acknowledged temporary problems with piping, desalination equipment and reduced meal choices.
Although he rejected wider claims of severe shortages.
Sailors Face Mounting Pressure
Gillibrand criticised the administration’s earlier response to complaints, saying conditions dismissed as “fake news” had proved serious and worsening.
A 2025 study of 956 sailors found Navy personnel aboard ships experienced particularly high levels of “serious psychological distress”.
It cited poor living conditions, noise, demanding schedules and insufficient rest.
After months at sea, the Lincoln is finally heading home.
But if sailors can spend 250 days deployed and still struggle to get basic rest and support.
The bigger question is simple: how much pressure can a crew carry before the mission becomes too much?
