4 Navy sailors seem to have died by suicide over the course of lower than a month in the identical Navy command in Norfolk, Va., based on a Navy official.
All of them have been assigned to the Mid-Atlantic Regional Upkeep Heart (MARMC), which repairs and maintains army ships. Many of the sailors have been already on limited-duty standing for quite a lot of psychological and bodily causes, the Navy official additionally confirmed. Their standing raises questions on whether or not there have been ample well being sources obtainable to the sailors. NBC Information first reported the suicides.
The official confirmed that 22-year-old Kody Lee Decker, of Virginia, was one of many sailors. An obituary posted by his household mentioned Decker, who died on Oct. 29, was a Navy electronics technician. A couple of days later, on Nov. 5, Cameron Armstrong additionally died, the Navy official confirmed.
That is the second time in a 12 months that the Navy has been confronted with a rash of suicide deaths. It launched an investigation in April after three sailors on the crew of the USS Washington died inside one week of one another. The Navy is attempting to find out whether or not there have been any underlying causes that led crew members to take their very own lives.
The residing and dealing circumstances on the provider, which is present process a yearslong overhaul, current challenges for the sailors. Whereas it is within the shipyard at Newport Information, Va., the George Washington is actually a development zone, the place it may be cramped, sizzling and loud for the crew on board. Prime Navy commanders have acknowledged the difficulties confronted by the provider's sailors. The shipyard is just not removed from the upkeep heart the place the latest suicides occurred, nearly 30 miles away.
Service members and veterans who're in disaster or having ideas of suicide, and people who know a service member or veteran in disaster, can name the Navy Disaster Line/Veterans Disaster Line for confidential help 24 hours a day, seven days every week, three hundred and sixty five days a 12 months. Name 1-800-273-8255 and Press 1 or textual content 838255 or chat on-line at VeteransCrisisLine.web/Chat.
In the event you or somebody you understand is in emotional misery or suicidal disaster, name the Nationwide Suicide Prevention Hotline at 988 or 1-800-273-TALK (8255).