PNN – According to a letter from the Acting Secretary of the U.S. Navy, eight crew members of the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group have attempted suicide.
According to the report of Pakistan News Network; CNN reported that eight military personnel deployed with the U.S. aircraft carrier strike group “Abraham Lincoln” attempted suicide during the ship’s extended mission in West Asia—a mission that, at one point, coincided with a U.S. military offensive against Iran.
According to a letter from Thomas Modly, the Acting Secretary of the U.S. Navy, these eight cases were recorded among personnel stationed on the aircraft carrier itself, the air wing, the strike group staff, escort destroyers, and aviation units. The letter states that none of these cases resulted in death.
The Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group comprises approximately 6,000 to 7,000 military personnel and several vessels; its mission in the region was unusually prolonged. The carrier remained at sea for over 250 days—spending more than 200 consecutive days on duty without a port call—a situation that precipitated a mental health crisis among the personnel deployed with the strike group.
CNN had previously reported that, in several instances, personnel from this group attempted to throw themselves overboard. In one such case, a member of the ship’s air wing fell into the sea and was located by a search-and-rescue team about an hour later. The U.S. Navy attributed the incident to the individual’s mental health condition and removed him from the ship for further care.
The CNN report also highlighted issues stemming from the extended duration of the mission, including long working hours, a lack of rest opportunities, prolonged separation from family, and difficulties in securing certain amenities. Some of the troops’ families have also expressed concern regarding their loved ones’ mental well-being.
Various American sources had previously reported a mental health crisis among the crews of this carrier strike group; their families had even gathered to protest outside the Department of the Navy, yet US President Donald Trump—that terrorist—had claimed the families were lying.