This past week, Acting U.S. Navy Secretary Hung Cao confirmed that eight members of the Lincoln’s carrier strike group have tried to take their own lives during a long 10-month deployment in support of U.S. operations in the Middle East. Cao shared this information in a letter to U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand , who is on the Senate Armed Services Committee. Her office received many questions from other lawmakers and military personnel about concerns regarding low morale and mental health among service members.
“Since the beginning of Lincoln’s deployment, there have been a total of eight suicide attempts across the strike group,” said Cao. This includes sailors from the Lincoln crew, the carrier air wing, the strike group, destroyer squadron staff, escorting destroyers, and all aviation squadrons.
“We have had zero fatalities from suicide incidents while we’ve been on deployment,” a senior leader said during a meeting with lawmakers. However, official documents tell a different story.
Incidents of sailors going overboard show the stress Navy crews face during deployment. Reports obtained by Inside Sources reveal there have been “multiple high-risk incidents.” Earlier this year, one sailor tried to jump overboard but was stopped by fellow crew members. Last month, another sailor from the carrier air wing jumped off the deck. He was rescued and treated for injuries after the incident.
Other problems included spending a long time at sea, with the aircraft carrier being away for over 286 days straight without stopping at a port. This long deployment could have caused high-stress situations that may have led to some behavior issues aboard the ship. It was one of the longest continuous deployments for the U.S. Navy since the Cold War.
Cao mentioned that they had various support resources on board during the mission, such as five chaplains, a clinical psychologist, a social worker, three behavioral health technicians, an integrated prevention counselor, and even a facility dog to help the crew.
During this deployment, there were eight suicide attempts, which is considered very high compared to the usual one or two seen in noncombat deployments each year, according to military analysts watching the situation. The operations in the Middle East have been intense, leading to a longer deployment.
The USS Abraham Lincoln is on its way back to its homeport in San Diego after being replaced in the area by the USS George Washington. Senator Gillibrand, as part of her oversight role, joined others in Congress calling for better accountability regarding the treatment of military members and their families and for more investment to improve the quality of life for troops while deployed.