NORFOLK, Va. — Naval Air Force Atlantic (AIRLANT) just shared the results of an investigation into three apparent suicides reported among USS George Washington sailors in April 2022.
The report looked at what these peoples' lives were like, and said they didn't know each other; the sailors assigned to USS George Washington were each facing unique stressors and challenges.
MASR Xavier Mitchell-Sandor, a 19-year-old sailor, had been assigned to stand watch from 5 p.m. to 5 a.m., which left him regularly sleep-deprived, the report said. He would sometimes take a sleeping bag to rest in his car and to get cell phone and internet service. This sailor was also suffering from loneliness, possible teasing, and was worried about a close loved one's failing health. The report says he was trying to find a way out of the Navy and felt "trapped."
The second sailor in the report, 23-year-old RS3 Mika'il Sharp, had problems with binge drinking, investigators said. He lived in a separate home from his wife while they were saving up money to buy a house, and the two would get into arguments. Investigators said he had been drinking at a party for a family member and got into a physical fight with his wife before taking his own life.
The third sailor, 24-year-old Natasha Huffman, had faced mental health problems since she was 14. The Navy was going back and forth about a bipolar disorder diagnosis that would medically separate her from her job, and she was also going through a long divorce from an allegedly abusive marriage. She had been drinking heavily on her last night alive and had an unknown amount of prescription medication in her system, which wasn't supposed to mix with alcohol.
The sailors' personal struggles were all on top of being assigned to a ship that was going through a long maintenance period. It meant people who signed up for the Navy weren't getting to see the world.
While Navy leadership acknowledges two of the three deaths appear unrelated to life onboard the ship, they say Mitchell-Sandor’s quality of life was affected by the condition of the ship and lack of amenities.
In an interview earlier this week, Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine discussed how difficult it can be to live and work on a ship that is stationary.
"We can provide more mental health resources and we should, those are easier fixes, but how do we give somebody that sense of purpose when they’re not doing what they thought they were going to be doing?"
Rear Adm. John Meier, Commander for AIRLANT said the report hoped to figure out what pushed these sailors toward taking their own lives, both to give their loved ones closure and to prevent anything like that from happening again.
"We have taken a number of additional steps to provide for the care and well-being of our service members but the bottom line is that we can, and will, do more for our Sailors and their families," wrote Meier.
There's a second, ongoing investigation that will give the Navy a better look at how working in a shipyard environment could create its own service challenges. That investigation is going to dig into command climate, safety, habitability, mental health, and other factors.
"Navy leadership remains fully engaged with the crew to ensure their health and well-being, and to ensure a climate of trust that encourages sailors to ask for help," a spokesperson wrote.
In all, seven local Navy personnel are believed to have died by suicide in 2022. This report only pertains to the three sailors who died in the Spring.
If you or someone you know is in a crisis or having thoughts of suicide, call the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988. The lifeline can also be reached at its former number 1-800-273-8255 or online at 988lifeline.org. You can also text HELLO to 741741 to reach the Crisis Text Line. A comprehensive list of suicide prevention resources can be found on the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services (SAMHSA) website.