More than 200 sailors moved off aircraft carrier after multiple suicides

The sailors are transferring to a local Navy installation because the nuclear-powered plane service continues to undergo a years-long refueling and overhaul course of on the shipyard in Newport News in Virginia. Over the previous 12 months, seven members of the crew have died, together with 4 by suicide, prompting the Navy to open an investigation into the command local weather and tradition on board the Nimitz-class provider.

The commanding officer of the provider, Capt. Brent Gaut, made the choice to permit sailors residing on board the ship to move to other lodging, in line with a statement from Naval Air Drive Atlantic. On the primary day of the move, which began Monday, greater than 200 sailors left the service and moved to a nearby Navy facility.

"The move plan will proceed until all Sailors who wish to transfer off-ship have done so," the statement said. Though the provider doesn't have its full complement of roughly 5,000 sailors, the ship still has between 2,000 and three,000 sailors dwelling aboard during the overhaul course of.

The ship's command is working to determine sailors who might "benefit from and need the assist companies and Morale, Welfare, and Recreation (MWR) applications" which are available on local Navy facilities. The Navy is in the process of establishing "momentary lodging" for these sailors, in accordance with an earlier statement from Naval Air Drive Atlantic.

"Management is actively implementing these and pursuing numerous additional morale and personal well-being measures and support providers 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 throughout a media roundtable on Tuesday.

"We've 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 those events? I anticipate that to report out this week, and I will not presuppose the outcome of that report," Meier said.

The investigation is considered one of two the US Navy is conducting. The second investigation has a "a lot broader scope" and focuses on "command local weather, command culture," Meier stated.

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

The sprint staff was "on board for a complete week, and so they put out a report that recognized some issues so as to add to our investigative work," Meier added.

The deaths aboard the service prompted Rep. Elaine Luria, a 20-year Navy veteran whose district encompasses a number of army services, to put in writing a letter to the Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral Michael Gilday, demanding immediate motion to ensure the safety of the crew.

"Each of those deaths is a tragedy, and the variety of incidents within a single command, which includes as many as four sailors taking their very own lives, raises vital concern that requires rapid and stringent inquiry," Luria wrote final week, noting that her office has acquired complaints about the quality of life aboard the ship and a poisonous environment.