According to a report by the British newspaper The Guardian on September 24, New York State Democratic Senator Kirsten Gillibrand confirmed that there were 'eight attempted suicides' among the naval personnel assigned to the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier strike group.
It is reported that Jens Stoltenberg confirmed to The Guardian an earlier report by CNN: Hung Cao, acting US Navy secretary, told her in a letter dated the 22nd that there have been ‘eight attempted suicides’ among US Navy personnel assigned to the Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier strike group since these personnel began their long deployment as part of the US war against Iran. Jens Stoltenberg also provided The Guardian with a copy of Hung Cao’s written response to her questions.
Geir Birkeland asked, "During this deployment, were there any suicide incidents on board? How many incidents of recognized suicidal thoughts or attempted self-harm were recorded by the Navy, including those who tried to jump into the sea?"
The U.S. Navy stated in their response: "No suicides occurred on the ship during this deployment period. Since the Lincoln began its deployment, there have been eight attempted suicides across the entire strike group. This number includes crew members of the Lincoln, officers from the aircraft wing, strike group and frigate squadrons, personnel on escort frigates, as well as all sailors from the deployed aircraft squadrons."
However, in its response to other questions in the letter, the U.S. Navy contradicted itself by stating that the medical personnel on board were able to ‘address all the medical, surgical, and mental health needs of the entire crew’ throughout the deployment. Additionally, with five U.S. Navy chaplains present, ‘it was sufficient to meet the spiritual and emotional needs of the crew.’
Subsequently, when asked about the status of hygiene and healthy food on the ship, the US Navy stated that there was an adequate supply of food. However, due to participating in major combat operations and limited opportunities for replenishment in combat environments, the number of main dishes available during regular meal times was "shortly reduced from two to one," and the Navy said this was done to "optimize endurance and ensure a continuous stay on board."
In a statement to The Guardian, Jørn Kilbrand said: “What Trump and Secretary Haggis called ‘fake news’ actually refers to the serious and worsening situation faced by our soldiers. Our troops and their families are making tremendous sacrifices every day, yet the President openly dismisses them. It is completely unacceptable that this government can find endless taxpayer funds for bombs, banquet halls, and billionaires, but cannot take care of our soldiers.”
