More than 200 sailors got off the aircraft carrier after multiple suicides

The sailors are being relocated to a local Navy installation as the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier continues to undergo a long process of refueling and overhaul at the Newport News Shipyard in Virginia. In the last 12 months, seven crew members have died, including four from suicide, prompting the Navy to launch an investigation into the command climate and culture aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier.

The carrier’s commanding officer, Captain Brent Gaut, has decided to allow sailors living on board the ship to move to other accommodation, according to a statement from the Atlantic Navy. On the first day of the move, which began on Monday, more than 200 sailors left the carrier and moved to a nearby Navy facility.

“The relocation plan will continue until all seafarers wishing to relocate from the ship do so,” the statement said. Although the carrier does not have a full crew of approximately 5,000 seafarers, the ship still has between 2,000 and 3,000 seafarers living on board during the overhaul process.

The ship’s command is working to identify sailors who could “benefit from and desire maintenance and morale, well-being and recreation (MWR) services” available at local Navy facilities. The Navy is in the process of setting up “temporary accommodation” for these sailors, according to an earlier statement from the Atlantic Navy.

“Leadership is actively pursuing and pursuing a number of additional moral and personal well-being measures and support services for members of the USS George Washington.”

The deaths aboard the carrier prompted Republican Elaine Luria, a 20-year-old Navy veteran whose county encompasses many military facilities, to write a letter to Navy Chief of Staff Admiral Michael Gildai asking for immediate action to ensure the crew’s safety.

“Each of these deaths is a tragedy, and the number of incidents within a single command, which includes up to four sailors who took their own lives, raises significant concerns that require immediate and rigorous investigation,” Luria wrote last week. the office has received complaints about the quality of life on board the ship and the toxic atmosphere.