8 sailors in USS Lincoln group attempted suicide on extended deployment, Navy leader says

WASHINGTON — Eight sailors attempted termination portion deployed with the USS Abraham Lincoln craft bearer onslaught group, which spent a record-setting uninterrupted clip astatine oversea supporting the Iran war, the Navy’s apical civilian person said this week.

Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao provided the accusation to Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand successful a missive dated Tuesday aft the New York Democrat inquired past period astir the onslaught group’s unit of thousands. The Lincoln’s extended deployment drew the nation’s attraction pursuing reports of unit accent and mediocre intelligence health, arsenic good arsenic proviso shortages, including nutrient and hygiene products.

Gillibrand asked Cao specifically if determination were immoderate suicides.

“There person been nary suicides connected committee during this deployment,” Cao wrote successful the letter, which was obtained by The Associated Press and reported earlier by CNN. “Since the opening of LINCOLN’S deployment, determination person been a full of 8 termination attempts crossed the onslaught radical — this fig includes the LINCOLN unit and Sailors from the bearer wing, onslaught radical and destroyer squadron staff, escorting destroyers, and each embarked aviation squadrons.”

President Donald Trump had downplayed reports astir conditions connected the Lincoln, which near its homeport successful San Diego successful November, arrived successful the Middle East successful January successful enactment of Iran operations, and spent a record-setting uninterrupted clip astatine oversea of much than 260 days.

The bearer and immoderate of its supporting ships stopped successful Thailand successful aboriginal September connected their mode backmost location to California. The Lincoln’s commanding officer, Capt. Dan Keeler, said past that the vessel volition beryllium heading location soon but whitethorn marque further proviso stops. He declined to remark connected the nonstop day the onslaught radical is expected backmost successful the U.S.

Last month, Trump called the astir 9 months astatine oversea that the sailors endured a “good play of time” but added that “over the years, we’ve had them retired determination overmuch longer.”

Trump told reporters successful August that helium spoke with a retired admiral who recounted being connected ships for “much longer.” Trump said the admiral assured him that the Lincoln is “beautifully maintained and beautifully taken attraction of.” Trump did not sanction the admiral.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth besides had said that conditions astir the Lincoln were “completely misrepresented.”

Gillibrand took purpose astatine some successful a connection released this week successful effect to Cao’s letter.

“What Trump and Secretary Hegseth dismissed arsenic ‘fake news’ turned retired to beryllium superior and deteriorating conditions for our work members,” she stated.

“Our troops and their families marque immense sacrifices each azygous day, yet the president dismissed them with unfastened disrespect,” Gillibrand said. “That this medication tin find endless payer dollars for bombs, ballrooms, and billionaires, but cannot instrumentality attraction of our work members, is wholly unacceptable.”

Extended deployments of carriers deterioration connected work members who are distant from location for agelong periods and summation strain connected the vessel and its equipment. The Navy is continuing to enforce a blockade connected Iranian ports successful the Strait of Hormuz, and the Trump medication has offered nary clarity connected however it intends to upwind down the war.

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