Eight US sailors who took part in Iran war attempt suicide
USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier of the US Navy. File Photo/Reuters
Eight members of the US Navy’s USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group, which took part in the war against Iran, attempted suicide. Acting Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao disclosed the information in a letter to Congress.
CNN obtained a copy of the letter. It said the incidents occurred while ships from the Lincoln Carrier Strike Group were conducting combat operations. However, no sailor died by suicide during this period.
In response to questions from Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, Cao said there were a total of eight suicide attempts among members of the Lincoln Strike Group. They included sailors from the carrier, aviation units, the strike group and destroyer squadron, accompanying destroyers and aviation squadrons aboard the ships.
The Lincoln carrier had been deployed for more than six months without making a port stop. Between 6,000 and 7,000 sailors were deployed aboard about half a dozen ships while conducting high intensity combat operations against Iran.
Cao’s letter said there were 356 suicide attempts across the US Navy in 2024. About 337,000 sailors were on active duty that year. The rate of suicide attempts in the Lincoln Strike Group was roughly consistent with that figure.
However, a US military official told CNN that eight suicide attempts was “extremely high.” The official said recent carrier strike group deployments typically had one or two such incidents per year.
According to the official, combat operations, the lack of port stops and the need to remain on constant alert created much greater pressure than during a normal deployment.
Cao said the Lincoln had five chaplains, one counselor, one psychologist, one clinical social worker, three behavioral health specialists and a trained dog to provide mental health services.
CNN had previously reported that two sailors from the Lincoln Strike Group fell overboard in recent months. One was a sailor from the Lincoln carrier and the other was a sailor from another ship.
US officials said both sailors were rescued. Reports by Navy Times and Stars and Stripes also said several other sailors were stopped from jumping overboard.
Cao said an aviation sailor fell overboard in early August. The sailor was quickly rescued and treated by Lincoln’s medical department.
In March, fellow sailors stopped another sailor who attempted to jump from the ship. The sailor was also given immediate medical treatment and later returned to their home base.
The Navy had previously told CNN that it had found no evidence of an increase in incidents involving suicidal thoughts or attempts aboard the ship. The Navy said it takes the well-being of its personnel seriously and has staff available to provide religious, medical and mental health services as needed.
A US official previously told CNN that the Navy did not believe there was a connection between the length of the deployment and suicidal thoughts. The official also said incidents involving sailors falling overboard were not occurring only in this fleet.
A Lincoln sailor previously told CNN that morale aboard the ship was very low. The sailor also said they had repeatedly heard colleagues talk about suicidal thoughts.
The sailor further said the ship’s toilets and water fountains were often out of service. Hot water was also frequently unavailable. The sailor said sailors waited anxiously every day for news about returning home.
The Lincoln left the Middle East in August. It is expected to return to its home base in San Diego within the next few weeks.
Other sailors aboard the Lincoln also told CNN that the situation this time was different from previous deployments. The main reason was the combat operations. As the ship could not make port stops in friendly countries, sailors had fewer opportunities to rest and receive necessary supplies.
Source: CNN (Adapted)
