Navy Letter Details USS Lincoln Suicide Attempts, Overboard Incident And Shipboard Shortages
Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao told Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand in a Sept. 22 letter that eight sailors attempted suicide across the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group during its deployment, and that there were no onboard suicides.[1]
Cao's letter says a sailor went overboard from the Lincoln on Aug. 3, was rescued by an air-wing search-and-rescue helicopter, treated onboard and then transferred off the ship.[2] The sailor's wife says she was not told until Aug. 7 and that her husband now faces disciplinary action.[2] Cao disclosed that another sailor attempted to go overboard in March, was stopped by shipmates, evacuated and returned to San Diego.[2]
The Lincoln spent more than 260 days at sea supporting the Iran war.[1] Cao acknowledged that major combat operations limited resupply opportunities and temporarily reduced main entree options from two to one during regular meals, though he said essential supplies remained stable.[2] He said earlier piping failures and temporary reverse-osmosis desalination-unit problems have been fixed and that water quality is now tested daily.[2] Officials said the carrier sailed with a psychologist, a clinical social worker, a counselor and three behavioral health technicians.[1] They said a therapy dog was aboard and that four nutritionally balanced meals were served daily even when entree choices were limited.[1]
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand said Cao's letter understated conditions and accused the Trump administration of dismissing "serious and deteriorating conditions" for service members.[1] Mental-health expert Dr. Harold Kudler said eight attempts over roughly 10 months may be statistically low but warrant a lessons-learned review.[1] Cao told Gillibrand that a bipartisan congressional delegation visit to the Lincoln is being planned for after the ship returns home.[2]
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📌 Key Facts
- Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao's letter dated Tuesday, September 22, 2026, to Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand reported eight suicide attempts across the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group during the deployment, said there were no onboard suicides, and described the crew as "resilient" with no major mishaps affecting deployment certifications (Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao).
- Cao wrote that a sailor went overboard from the USS Abraham Lincoln on August 3, 2026, was rescued by an air wing search-and-rescue helicopter, treated onboard and then transferred off the ship (USS Abraham Lincoln).
- The sailor's wife provided text messages showing she was not told her husband had jumped until August 7, 2026 (four days after the August 3 incident), and she says he now faces disciplinary action (sailor's wife).
- Cao disclosed that another sailor attempted to go overboard in March 2026, was stopped by shipmates, evacuated from the carrier, and returned to San Diego, the ship's home port (San Diego).
- The letter acknowledges that major combat operations limited resupply opportunities, temporarily reducing main entree options from two to one during regular meals, though Cao said essential supplies remained stable (main entree options).
- Cao confirmed earlier piping failures and temporary reverse-osmosis desalination-unit problems during the deployment have been fixed, water quality is now tested daily, and hygiene products were prioritized with distribution rotations established (reverse-osmosis desalination units).
- The Lincoln deployed with behavioral-health staff — a psychologist, a clinical social worker, a counselor, three behavioral health technicians — plus a therapy dog, and officials say four nutritionally balanced meals were served daily even when entree choices were limited (psychologist).
- Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand criticized Cao's letter and the administration, accusing the Trump administration of dismissing "serious and deteriorating conditions" for service members and contrasting spending on "bombs, ballrooms, and billionaires" with care for troops (Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand).
- Reporting notes the Lincoln spent more than 260 days at sea supporting the Iran war — nearly nine months — a deployment President Trump publicly called a "good period of time" and "not nearly long enough" (more than 260 days at sea).
- Mental-health expert Dr. Harold Kudler said that while eight attempts in roughly 10 months may be statistically low, the public outcry indicates underlying issues that merit a lessons-learned review (Dr. Harold Kudler).
📰 Source Timeline (3)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
- The PBS/AP article confirms that Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao's letter to Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, dated Tuesday, September 22, 2026, reports eight suicide attempts across the USS Abraham Lincoln strike group during its deployment, with zero suicides on board.
- Cao's letter specifies that the Lincoln deployed with a psychologist, a clinical social worker, a counselor, three behavioral health technicians and a therapy dog, and that four nutritionally balanced meals were served daily even when entree choices were temporarily reduced due to resupply limits.
- The article quotes Cao acknowledging delays in scheduled resupply shipments, piping failures and temporary desalination-unit issues, while stating that hygiene products were prioritized and distribution rotations were established.
- The piece adds on-the-record criticism from Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, who, responding to Cao's letter, accuses the Trump administration of dismissing "serious and deteriorating conditions" for service members and contrasts spending on "bombs, ballrooms, and billionaires" with care for troops.
- The article provides broader context that the Lincoln spent more than 260 days at sea without interruption supporting the Iran war and notes President Trump's public remarks calling the nearly nine months at sea a "good period of time" and "not nearly long enough."
- Mental-health expert Dr. Harold Kudler is quoted saying that the raw count of eight attempts in 10 months may be statistically low but that the public outcry indicates underlying issues that merit a lessons-learned review.
- Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao sent a letter dated Tuesday, September 22, 2026, to Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand detailing eight suicide attempts across the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group.
- Cao wrote that a sailor went overboard from USS Abraham Lincoln on August 3, 2026, was rescued by an air wing search-and-rescue helicopter, treated onboard, and then transferred off the ship.
- The sailor's wife provided text messages showing she was not told her husband had jumped until August 7, 2026, four days after the August 3 incident; she says he now faces disciplinary action.
- Cao disclosed that another sailor attempted to go overboard in March 2026, was stopped by shipmates, evacuated from the carrier, and returned to San Diego, the ship's home port.
- The letter acknowledges that major combat operations limited resupply opportunities and confirms that main entree options were temporarily reduced from two to one during regular meals, though Cao says essential supplies remained stable.
- Cao confirmed earlier problems with plumbing and reverse-osmosis desalination units during the deployment but said those have been fixed and that water quality is now tested daily.
- Cao told Gillibrand that a bipartisan congressional delegation visit to USS Lincoln is being planned for after the ship returns home, rather than during deployment.
- Despite the eight suicide attempts and reported hardships, Cao wrote that the Lincoln's crew remains 'resilient' and that there have been no major mishaps, injuries or illnesses affecting the carrier's deployment certifications.