GAO - Challenges to Addressing Sailor Fatigue in the Surface Fleet Continue

[Tony]

Inadequate crew rest and fatigue is an ongoing problem for the Navy—one that's contributed to fatal ship collisions in the past.

In 2021 we made 8 recommendations to help the Navy address fatigue. As of September 2023, the Navy has implemented 4 of them—such as requiring the timely collection of data on fatigue so that officers can make informed decisions. But the Navy still has work to do on other issues we identified.

For example, many ships are understaffed—and heavy workloads are a contributing factor to fatigue. Until the Navy addresses crew shortfalls on ships, sailors will likely continue to have problems getting adequate sleep