US Navy Leadership Blamed for Service Failures and Suicides on Ships.
An investigation into the suicides of seven US Navy sailors assigned to the USS George Washington has revealed failures in working and living conditions at naval shipyards, leading to recommendations for improvements in mental health services, food, and housing. The Navy's probe follows the deaths of seven sailors assigned to the ship over a 12-month period. Four of the deaths were confirmed suicides, three of which occurred within a week in April of last year. The report identified "some common quality of life challenges" for crews of aircraft carriers undergoing the Refueling and Complex Overhaul process. Navy senior leadership, officer and civilian, let our standards slip, and in so doing we let our people down, said Navy Chief Adm. Michael Gilday and Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro in a memo.