Navy Allows Sailors To Live Off USS George Washington Following Series Of Deaths

The U.S. Navy has started allowing sailors to live off of the USS George Washington and opt to use a local installation as their living quarters following a series of sailor deaths over the last year. An investigation has been launched after three deaths within a week of each other last month.

In a statement to The Hill, Naval Air Force Atlantic spokesperson Rob Myers said the “Commanding Officer of USS George Washington has taken steps to provide an opportunity to every Sailor who is currently living on the ship to elect to move to off-ship accommodations at a local installation.” He added that the changes were implemented Monday. The off-ship move will continue until all sailors who prefer living off of the carrier have done so.

The developments came following mounting pressure on the U.S. Navy over a string of deaths among sailors assigned to the USS George Washington. Last week, the Navy said seven sailors assigned to the aircraft carrier died by apparent suicide, CBS News reported. The deaths took place as the carrier is undergoing extended periods of overhauling in Virginia. Four of the deaths took place in 2021, and the last three occurred within one week last month.

A member of the crew told CBS News that “it feels like Big Navy has left us out to dry. Nobody cares.” The outlet further reported that working and living conditions on the carrier are challenging for the sailors as the shipyard where the USS George Washington is docked can be hot, cramped, and loud.

The Navy has since launched an investigation into sailor deaths. Virginia’s Office of the Chief Medical Examiner confirmed to CBS News in April that the recent three deaths were determined to have been suicides. One sailor died April 9, another April 10, and the third died April 15 at the Riverside Regional Medical Center after being found unresponsive on the ship and transported to the hospital.

In a March press release, the Navy said “sailors taking their own lives through suicide is one of the United States Navy’s top three causes of death annually.” The Navy explained that many of its sailors who struggle with suicidal thoughts are “afraid of being treated differently” should they admit to their mental health struggles.

Data from the U.S. Department of Defense revealed that in 2020, 580 service members died by suicide, marking a 16% increase from the number in 2019. The data further revealed that 19 out of 100,000 Navy members died by suicide in 2020.