Navy reports 8 suicide attempts on carrier group that faced monthslong deployment amid Iran war

September 23, 2026 / 8:10 PM EDT / CBS News

There have been eight suicide attempts across the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group since the beginning of its grueling monthslong deployment last year, Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao said in a letter obtained by CBS News.

That number includes sailors assigned to the Lincoln aircraft carrier, its air wing and the destroyers that are escorting the ship, Cao wrote in response to questions from Democratic Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York. No suicides have taken place onboard.

A defense official told CBS News two of the suicide attempts occurred during active fighting with Iran. The letter covers the entire length of the Lincoln strike group's deployment, which began in November of last year.

CNN was first to report the figures. A Navy official confirmed the letter was sent Tuesday.

The Lincoln and its thousands of crew members have been deployed for more than nine months, including more than 250 uninterrupted days at sea this year. Much of that time was spent in the Middle East, where the carrier strike group supported the U.S. war against Iran.

During its record-long time at sea, the aircraft carrier faced reports of food…

Original source: https://www.cbsnews.com/entertainment/