Eight U.S. service members aboard the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln allegedly attempted suicide during the carrier’s roughly nine-month mission against Iran.
The allegation appeared in a four-page letter that Acting U.S. Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao sent to Democratic Senator Kirsten Gillibrand. The letter said the lengthy deployment caused psychological problems among the service members and that eight of them attempted suicide.
USS Abraham Lincoln served for roughly 250 days
USS Abraham Lincoln’s uninterrupted deployment in the region lasted roughly nine months, or about 250 days. Following discussions about the service members’ psychological well-being, the U.S. Department of Defense decided to send the aircraft carrier USS George Washington to the region to take over the mission.
USS Abraham Lincoln left the region after USS George Washington arrived in the Middle East on August 20.