US Navy Confirms Eight Suicide Attempts on Lincoln Carrier
The US Department of War has confirmed eight suicide attempts among sailors assigned to the aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln after reports emerged about poor conditions aboard the vessel. According to a US military official, two of the incidents occurred during active combat with Iran.
CBS reported on Wednesday, October 1, that Hung Cao, the acting US Navy secretary, provided the figures in a letter to Democratic Senator Kirsten Gillibrand. The letter said the eight incidents involved sailors stationed on the carrier itself, its air wing, and the destroyers accompanying the ship.
Cao also wrote that “there were no suicides aboard the carrier.” The confirmation comes after earlier reports highlighted the difficulties of living and serving on the ship.
During the Abraham Lincoln’s combat mission in the Middle East, families of thousands of personnel had complained about the poor conditions on board. Those reports cited food shortages, logistical problems and a broken toilet plumbing system as some of the issues sailors faced.
Senator Gillibrand also said in a statement that what Donald Trump and Secretary Hegseth had called “fake news” was in fact evidence of serious and deteriorating conditions for US military personnel. The US government initially dismissed the reports, but after complaints mounted, the carrier was pulled from its combat mission and sent back to the United States.
The Abraham Lincoln was deployed to the Middle East last year and carried out operations for more than 250 consecutive days. After a stop in Thailand, the carrier arrived in Guam earlier this week and is expected to return to San Diego.
