Shortly after the aircraft carrier landed in Japan, two sailors assigned to the USS George Washington passed away within days of one another, according to family members and officials.
It’s unclear what killed them. According to the Navy, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) and Japanese authorities are looking into both cases.
A series of suicides plagued the George Washington two years ago.
According to officials, Cuyler Condon was discovered unconscious at an on-base hotel on November 22, the day the ship arrived in Yokosuka, Japan. On the spot, medical personnel from the U.S. Naval Hospital Yokosuka declared the electrician’s mate dead.
Three days later, local emergency personnel discovered 20-year-old electrician’s mate fireman Dimitri Morales unconscious in the town and pronounced him dead, according to the Navy.
Stars and Stripes was the first to report the deaths.
The family of Morales informed NBC News in New Jersey that they are unsure of the cause of his passing.
Alexander Morales, 22, his older brother, stated, “We’re just kind of sitting around, waiting for answers.” It’s not simple.
Svetlana Kashirina, the sailor’s mother, stated that although the Navy has not released any information, it is in the process of organizing Morales’ burial for next week.
“We have no information about his death and still don’t know what happened to him,” she stated.
According to Kashirina, she doesn’t think her son committed suicide.
She remarked, “I just wanted to say that my son was a very happy and caring young man who wanted to serve his country and loved being a sailor.” He aspired to become an electrical engineer and had many other ambitions for his life.
As the Navy concentrates on preparing suitable resources for the ship’s passage to Japan, a Navy official stated that sailors might access bereavement counseling and support services.
The Navy stated that it is sending its condolences and prayers to the crew men and their families in the wake of these terrible tragedy.
Regarding the continuing investigation, NCIS chose not to comment.
A series of suicides that occurred in 2022 when the USS George Washington was docked and undergoing a protracted overhaul at the Newport News Shipyard in Virginia from 2017 to 2023 made news.
According to officials, nine sailors committed suicide over that time, including three in a single week in April 2022.
Navy authorities debated news coverage of the fatalities, denied allegations of subpar living circumstances, and appeared to dispute on whether to promote the sailors posthumously, according to emails obtained by NBC News earlier this year. These emails demonstrate how they rushed to tackle the developing mental health crisis.
At the time, a number of sailors told NBC News that the ship’s intolerable condition and a culture that did not provide the resources needed to seek assistance were directly responsible for their difficulties.
More than 280 sailors were relocated as a result of the deaths, which also prompted investigations and visits from the Navy’s top leaders.
According to one of the studies, the shipyard did not have enough parking spaces, transit, or access to housing and food.
In May 2023, the aircraft carrier’s overhaul was finished. In April, it sailed from Virginia to San Diego, and in July, it headed for Japan.
The USS Ronald Reagan, which sailed out of Yokosuka for almost nine years until departing in May, is anticipated to be replaced by George Washington, who will stay in Japan for an extended period of time.
The commanding officer, Capt. Timothy Waits, stated in a news release upon the ship’s arrival in Japan that “for some of us, the journey began in April when we departed from Virginia, and arriving here in Yokosuka has been a milestone for many months.”
“I am so proud of this team,” he continued. In addition to arriving on schedule and safely, we have exceeded all expectations, met all goals, and been prepared for tasking from the first day of deployment in the 7th Fleet area of operations.
The Suicide and Crisis Lifeline can be reached by calling 988 if you or someone you know is experiencing a crisis. For further resources, visit SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources, text HOME to 741741, or contact the network (formerly the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline) at 800-273-8255.
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