Eight US sailors in USS Abraham Lincoln strike group attempted suicide, Navy says

Image source, Getty Images By Sareen Habeshian Published 25 minutes ago Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao has said that eight crew members who were assigned to the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group attempted suicide during their lengthy deployment.

The disclosure was made in a letter to Senator Kirsten Gillibrand of New York on Tuesday in response to questions from the Democrat on the well-being of sailors onboard following mounting concerns.

Family members of sailors had raised alarm about deteriorating mental health and grim conditions. The carrier, which has been deployed since last November, is now returning to the US.

The BBC has contacted the US Navy for comment.

In his letter, Cao said that there were five chaplains and multiple mental health professionals available on board to meet the "spiritual and emotional needs of the crew".