Eight U.S. Navy personnel assigned to the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group attempted suicide during its prolonged deployment in the Middle East, Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao has disclosed.
Cao made the disclosure in a letter to U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, responding to questions from the lawmaker about the welfare and mental health of sailors following growing concerns over conditions aboard the carrier.
The eight cases involved personnel across the wider carrier strike group, including crew members of the USS Abraham Lincoln, its carrier air wing, strike and destroyer squadron staffs, escorting destroyers and embarked aviation squadrons.
Cao, however, clarified that there were no deaths by suicide during the deployment. He said one sailor attempted to go overboard in March but was stopped by colleagues, while another went overboard in August and was rescued before being taken for further medical care.
The disclosure comes amid mounting concerns from relatives of sailors over deteriorating mental health and difficult living conditions during the unusually long mission.
The USS Abraham Lincoln had been deployed since November and spent 286 days at sea, with the deployment extended beyond its originally scheduled May return amid continuing U.S. military operations against Iran.
Reports about the sailors’ welfare had previously raised concerns over prolonged periods without port visits, shortages of some supplies and allegations of deteriorating conditions aboard the vessel. The reports triggered demands from some lawmakers for greater scrutiny of the deployment.
In his response, Cao said the carrier had five chaplains and multiple mental-health professionals available to address the “spiritual and emotional needs” of the crew.
The disclosure of the eight suicide attempts marks a significant development in the controversy surrounding the welfare of personnel involved in the extended deployment. The carrier strike group is now returning to the United States.
Source: BBC News, with additional reporting from The Guardian and Stars and Stripes.
