Afghanistan, Sept. 24 -- The U.S. Navy has confirmed eight suicide attempts among personnel assigned to the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group during its extended deployment, including a period when the group supported U.S. combat operations against Iran.
Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao disclosed the figure in a letter to Democratic Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, who had asked the Pentagon about the morale, living conditions and mental health of personnel assigned to the carrier and its strike group. The letter said there had been no suicide deaths during the deployment.
The eight cases involved personnel across the wider strike group, including the Lincoln's crew, its carrier air wing, strike-group and destroyer-squadron staff, escorti...