US confirms eight suicide attempts aboard aircraft carrier during record Middle East deployment

The Trump administration has confirmed eight suicide attempts by service members during the prolonged deployment of the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln to the Middle East. A US lawmaker disclosed the information on Wednesday, citing a letter reviewed by the AFP news agency.

The letter was sent by Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao, the service's top civilian official, in response to questions from Democratic Senator Kirsten Gillibrand about conditions aboard the carrier. It states that eight suicide attempts have occurred across the strike group since the Lincoln's deployment began, though no suicides took place during this period.

The letter also detailed two specific incidents. A sailor assigned to an air wing went overboard in early August and was quickly recovered by a search-and-rescue helicopter before being taken off the ship for follow-up care. Another sailor attempted to go overboard in March but was stopped by fellow crew members and subsequently returned to homeport.

Extended deployment

The Lincoln departed California in November 2025 for what was initially intended as duty in the South China Sea, but it was rerouted to the Middle East ahead of US-Israeli strikes on Iran that began in late February 2026. The carrier finally made a stopover in Thailand in early September, after 286 days at sea.

In August, military families and lawmakers raised concerns about reported suicide attempts, serious mental health issues, food shortages and poor hygiene conditions aboard the ship. President Donald Trump dismissed those claims at the time, while Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth insisted the situation on the carrier had been misrepresented.