Navy Finds No Link In Series Of Suicides By Carrier Crew

[Tony]

WASHINGTON -- Three suicides by sailors assigned to a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier, which set off alarms about conditions on and around the ship, were not connected, but the poor quality of life onboard was a “contributing factor” in one of the deaths, according to a Navy report released Monday.

The suicides, which happened while the USS George Washington was docked at the shipyard in Newport News, Virginia, between April 9-15, triggered questions about whether the sailors knew each other or if something similar, associated with their jobs or the ship, had caused them. The report concludes that while all three were assigned to the ship, which was undergoing extensive maintenance, they had no social or working relationships with each other.