Greater than 200 sailors moved off plane carrier after multiple suicides

The sailors are transferring to a neighborhood Navy installation because the nuclear-powered plane provider continues to go through a years-long refueling and overhaul process on the shipyard in Newport Information in Virginia. Over the past 12 months, seven members of the crew have died, including four by suicide, prompting the Navy to open an investigation into the command climate and culture on board the Nimitz-class carrier.

The commanding officer of the service, Capt. Brent Gaut, made the choice to permit sailors living on board the ship to maneuver to different lodging, in keeping with an announcement from Naval Air Drive Atlantic. On the primary day of the transfer, which started Monday, more than 200 sailors left the service and moved to a nearby Navy facility.

"The transfer plan will proceed until all Sailors who wish to transfer off-ship have achieved so," the statement said. Although the service does not have its full complement of approximately 5,000 sailors, the ship still has between 2,000 and three,000 sailors residing aboard throughout the overhaul process.

The ship's command is working to identify sailors who might "benefit from and desire the assist services and Morale, Welfare, and Recreation (MWR) packages" that are available on local Navy facilities. The Navy is within the process of setting up "momentary lodging" for these sailors, in response to an earlier statement from Naval Air Pressure Atlantic.

"Leadership is actively implementing these and pursuing a variety of additional morale and personal well-being measures and support services to members assigned to USS George Washington."

Results from the Navy's investigation into the deaths are expected this week, Admiral John Meier, the commander of US Naval Air Power Atlantic, instructed reporters during a media roundtable on Tuesday.

"We have assigned an investigating officer to look into that and to really to look into the proximate cause. Was there a direct set off? Was there a linkage between these occasions? I expect that to report out this week, and I won't presuppose the result of that report," Meier stated.

The investigation is one in all two the US Navy is conducting. The second investigation has a "much broader scope" and focuses on "command climate, command culture," Meier mentioned.

To answer the three suicides in April, the Navy added assets to the ship, including a "ship psychologist," "resiliency counselors," and "a 13-person sprint team, which is a particular intervention team for instances like this," Meier said.

The sprint crew was "on board for a whole week, they usually put out a report that identified some things so as to add to our investigative work," Meier added.

The deaths aboard the provider prompted Rep. Elaine Luria, a 20-year Navy veteran whose district encompasses multiple military amenities, to jot down a letter to the Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral Michael Gilday, demanding speedy motion to make sure the safety of the crew.

"Each of those deaths is a tragedy, and the number of incidents within a single command, which incorporates as many as 4 sailors taking their very own lives, raises significant concern that requires rapid and stringent inquiry," Luria wrote final week, noting that her workplace has received complaints concerning the quality of life aboard the ship and a poisonous atmosphere.