Eight US Navy personnel attempted suicide during Iran war deployment

Eight US Navy personnel affiliated with the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group attempted suicide during its deployment, a revelation detailed in a letter to Congress by Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao. This deployment included combat operations against Iran and an extended period at sea. Cao confirmed these figures in response to questions from Senator Kirsten Gillibrand about the morale and mental health of the personnel.

There were no recorded deaths resulting from suicide during the deployment. The eight attempted suicides spanned across various components of the strike group, which included sailors from the USS Abraham Lincoln, its carrier air wing, strike group, destroyer squadron staffs, escorting destroyers, and aviation squadrons. Approximately 6,000 to 7,000 sailors were deployed across roughly six ships.

The carrier remained at sea for over six months while conducting combat operations in the region. The deployment was marked by several mental health and support services, including five chaplains, an embedded integrated prevention counsellor, a psychologist, a clinical social worker, three behavioral health technicians, and an expeditionary facility dog.

However, there were incidents of sailors going overboard, with one sailor from the air wing going overboard in early August but being quickly recovered, and another attempting to go overboard in March but being stopped and receiving medical care. Two sailors from the strike group reportedly went overboard in separate incidents and were rescued, while others were prevented from falling.

The USS Abraham Lincoln concluded its journey home after nearly nine months of deployment in the Middle East. The disclosures have raised concerns about the conditions faced by the service members during the deployment, with Gillibrand highlighting low morale and repeated discussions of suicidal thoughts among the sailors. They also mentioned disruptions to basic amenities, such as closed toilets and water fountains, and frequent shortages of hot water.

Despite these challenges, the Navy maintains that no increase in suicidal thoughts or attempts was observed and that medical, religious, and mental health professionals were available to assist the sailors. The USS Abraham Lincoln departed from the Middle East in August and is projected to return to its home port in San Diego in the coming weeks.