The Trump administration has officially acknowledged that eight crew members attempted suicide aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group, which was deployed to the Middle East for an extended period.
While reports have repeatedly surfaced regarding deteriorating mental health and signs of suicide attempts among the crew of the USS Lincoln, this marks the first time U.S. Navy authorities have confirmed the specific number of suicide attempts.
According to foreign media outlets including CNN and AFP, acting U.S. Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao stated in a written response to Democratic Senator Kirsten Gillibrand that a total of eight crew members attempted suicide within the Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group during this deployment.
However, it was noted that no crew members died from suicide.
The Lincoln carrier strike group typically consists of 6,000 to 7,000 U.S. Navy personnel distributed across multiple vessels.
Departing San Diego, U.S., in November of last year, the USS Lincoln stayed in the Middle East for over nine months, carrying out combat operations related to tensions and potential war with Iran.
In particular, concerns have continuously been raised regarding the accumulated fatigue and mental health of the crew as operations continued for over six months without a port call.
The condition of the USS Lincoln, which appeared in Thailand earlier this month, also sparked controversy.
Images were released showing various parts of the hull covered in rust and algae following its long-term operations.
An active-duty U.S. military official interviewed by CNN stated that while typical deployments for a carrier strike group see about one to two suicide attempts per year, eight attempts is "a remarkably high number."
However, some interpretations suggest the rate is not significantly different when compared to the U.S. Navy as a whole.
Out of approximately 337,000 active-duty U.S. Navy personnel in 2024, 356 suicide attempts were recorded. CNN explained that when considering the scale of personnel, the incidence rate within the USS Lincoln carrier strike group is not vastly different from the overall U.S. Navy rate.
The U.S. Navy stated that it has deployed mental health support personnel, including psychological counselors and chaplains, to the USS Lincoln.
It also maintains the stance that a direct link between long-term deployment and self-harm incidents has not been confirmed.
(Reported by An Hyemin | Video by Jeong Yong-hee | Design by Yook Do-hyun | Produced by SBS Digital News)
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