Eight suicide attempts on USS Lincoln carrier strike group, Navy Secretary tells Senator

Sen. Kristin Gillibrand (D-NY) released an email exchange between herself and Navy Secretary Hung Cao seeking answers about conditions aboard the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln. Secretary Cao confirmed to Sen. Gillibrand that there had been 8 suicide attempts total during the latest deployment across the half-dozen or so ships in the carrier strike group. Reports had previously indicated that one sailor successfully jumped overboard and was rescued while another attempted to jump overboard but was restrained by fellow sailors.

The Lincoln carrier strike group recently went more than 200 days without a port call, a record for the US Navy. The group took part in combat operations in the Middle East with no safe ports within reach. The lengthy uninterrupted time at sea contributed to rapidly deteriorating conditions on board, as reported by sailors and their family members.

Foregoing port calls makes restocking critical supplies difficult. Sailors and their family members reported food shortages, poor quality and sometimes spoiled food. The ship also experienced serious plumbing issues affecting the toilets and showers. The conditions also seriously impacted mental health and morale among the exhausted crew.

After a public outcry, the Lincoln was finally recalled. The ship first made a 5-day port call in Thailand where sailors were allowed to go ashore for rest and recreation. Onlookers noted the severely rusted state of the vessel as it came into port. The ship is now on its way back to San Diego.

When outrage over the reports about the conditions on board the Lincoln made headlines earlier this summer, President Trump dismissed the claims, saying the ship’s deployment was “not nearly long enough”.

Having already broken the record for longest period without a port call, the Lincoln may now break the record for longest time at sea for a carrier. That record was only recently set by the USS Gerald R. Ford’s 326-day which ended in May 2026 after a fire in the laundry room forced the ship to be recalled. The Navy is reportedly investigating whether the fire might have been an act of sabotage by members of the crew.