Eight crew members have attempted suicide on USS Abraham Lincoln during deployment, navy official says

Eight crew members on board the USS Abraham Lincoln have attempted suicide since the beginning of their extended deployment, a senior navy official has said. 

The disclosure was made in a letter, seen by Sky's US partner network NBC News, from acting navy secretary Hung Cao to Senator Kirsten Gillibrand of New York.

Mr Cao told Ms Gillibrand that the eight navy personnel included crew members and sailors from the carrier air wing, strike group and destroyer squadron staff, escorting destroyers, and all embarked aviation squadrons.

No deaths have been attributed to suicide during the deployment.

The USS Abraham Lincoln had been at sea without a port call for 286 days - over nine months - as part of its support for the US war in Iran.

Family members of those on board had previously raised concerns about the length of the deployment, as well as the conditions on the 5,000-strong vessel and the impact on mental health.

In the letter, which was reportedly delivered on Tuesday, Mr Cao addressed Ms Gillibrand's concerns that conditions and supplies on the ship were "serious and deteriorating", and answered a series of questions she had asked defence secretary Pete Hegseth in a previous letter.

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Last month, Donald Trump downplayed the impact on American sailors of being on the aircraft carrier for a prolonged period, with the US president saying the deployment was "not nearly long enough" when asked if it was excessive.

A typical deployment lasts six to seven months, and includes regular stops to replenish supplies.

The USS Abraham Lincoln had departed the US in November. The deployment was initially supposed to end in May, but was extended after the war began in February.

The ship stopped in Thailand this month and is heading to San Diego in California following a stop in Guam. The USS George Washington was sent to replace it.

Earlier this year, the US Navy said officials had "not observed an increase in suicidal ideations or attempts aboard the ship", and insisted that service members' health was a top priority.

In a statement, the official said: "We take every service member's well-being seriously and have religious, medical and mental health professionals available to assess and address concerns as they arise."

The USS Abraham Lincoln has five chaplains, a clinical psychologist, a clinical social worker, behavioural health technicians and an embedded integrated prevention coordination counsellor to support the crew, the official said.

Suicide remains one of the leading causes of death in the US Navy and Marines, according to an analysis of data compiled by USNI News.

The US Navy said that key factors in suicide include a lack of connectedness and mental health struggles, adding that "suicide prevention and postvention efforts remain a top priority".

Anyone feeling emotionally distressed or suicidal can call Samaritans for free on 116 123 or visit samaritans.org in the UK. In the US, call the Samaritans branch in your area or 1 (800) 273-TALK.

(c) Sky News 2026: Eight crew members have attempted suicide on USS Abraham Lincoln during deployment, navy