A new letter from the acting secretary of the U.S. Navy has revealed troubling details about conditions on the USS Abraham Lincoln — including that there were eight reported suicide attempts from service members of the carrier strike group tied to the USS Lincoln.
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, received the letter from acting Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao on Tuesday in response to her request for information about the USS Lincoln’s long deployment that included combat operations in the Iran war.
According to the letter that was obtained by MS NOW, Cao wrote that there have been eight suicide attempts made by service members of the carrier strike group, which includes the USS Lincoln, the squadrons that are embarked on it and its accompanying destroyers.
Cao said one sailor went overboard from the USS Lincoln in early August. That sailor was rescued by an air wing search and rescue helicopter, treated by the ship’s medical team and transferred off the ship for follow-on care.
“The Sailor’s family was notified according to standing notification policies,” the letter states.
MS NOW has exclusively spoken to the wife of the sailor who went overboard. She said Navy leaders did not tell her that her husband had jumped off the ship until five days after the incident.
MS NOW reviewed texts between the wife and the husband’s chain of command that show she was not notified of what had transpired until Aug. 7. Her husband jumped on Aug. 3.
The wife also shared with MS NOW that her husband is now facing disciplinary action for the incident.
Cao also wrote that another sailor attempted to go overboard in March, was stopped by his shipmates and was then evacuated from the carrier and returned to San Diego, the USS Lincoln’s homeport.
Despite the suicide attempts, Cao maintained that the USS Lincoln’s crew is resilient.
Gillibrand also asked about conditions on the ship, including food shortages, a lack of basic hygienic supplies and malfunctioning toilets and laundry facilities. In response, Cao said “the number of main entree options served during regular meal hours was reduced from two to one for a short time.”
In the letter, Cao also acknowledged that major combat operations reduced opportunities for the carrier to get resupplied.
To adapt, he said, Navy leaders rotated different squadrons and departments to have access to the stocked goods, but that supply of essential items remained stable.
Cao also said in the letter that, earlier in the deployment, there were issues with both plumbing and reverse osmosis desalination units. He added that those issues have since been fixed and the water is now safe and tested daily.
Reports about the conditions on the USS Lincoln have sparked concern on Capitol Hill.
In August, Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., reached out to Pentagon officials demanding an accounting of the conditions on the ship. And Sen. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., a Marine Corps veteran, demanded a chance to conduct an oversight visit to investigate the “alarming conditions” onboard.
Cao’s letter hints that such an opportunity for lawmakers to get a firsthand look at the USS Lincoln is in the works — but not until the ship returns home.
In the document, Cao told Gillibrand that a “bipartisan congressional delegation” is in the “planning stages to embark the Lincoln” following its “return home.”
Cao said there have been no major mishaps, injuries or illnesses on the USS Lincoln and that the carrier has maintained its deployment certifications and required levels of readiness at sea.
He said the USS George Washington has relieved the USS Lincoln in the Middle East and that the USS Lincoln has departed that region.
The USS Lincoln is expected to arrive back to its homeport of San Diego in the coming weeks.
If you or someone you know is in crisis, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline or chat live at 988lifeline.org. You can also visit SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for additional support.
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