NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — The Navy said Tuesday the aircraft carrier USS George Washington has lost nine crew members in the past two years, all as the ship has been in the midst of a five-year-long overhaul at Newport News Shipbuilding.
The Commander of Naval Air Force Atlantic, Rear Admiral John Meier, said six of the deaths are believed to have been by suicide. That includes three sailors who died last month within a week of each other.
"Any time we lose a sailor, it's gut-wrenching. And I can only imagine the loss that the parents feel in that regard. I can really think of no greater loss," said Meier.
Representatives Elaine Luria (D-Virginia, 2nd District) and Bobby Scott (D-Virginia, 3rd District) toured the ship on Tuesday along with Admiral Meier, and the President of Newport News Shipbuilding Jennifer Boykin.
The leaders said they were there to listen and learn from crew members about conditions aboard the ship and the general command climate.
"I would say I think the captain and the command master chief, the command triad, I would say they have their heads and hearts in the right place," said Luria. "They've done everything they can with the resources available through the Navy to help move sailors off the ship, to help get additional resources for mental health care."
Admiral Meir said his office has launched two investigations into the deaths, added psychologists and mental health counselors, and ordered the ship to take a department by department two-day operational pause.
On Monday, the Navy began moving up to 260 sailors who live aboard the ship off base into barracks-like accommodations.
The GW has been under repair at Newport News Shipbuilding since 2017.
In March, Defense News reported that Naval Sea System Command said the ship is 92.5% complete.
This week, USNI News reported that the overhaul won't be complete until March 2023 -- 19 months late.
In a statement to 13 News Now, Newport News Shipbuilding spokesman Danny Hernandez said the following:
"The Refueling and Complex Overhaul (RCOH) is nearing completion and our shipbuilding team is laser focused on redelivering a fully recapitalized carrier to the fleet as early as possible.”
Rep. Luria released the following statement after her visit of the USS GW Monday evening:
“I had a chance to meet and speak with junior enlisted sailors and Navy leadership aboard USS George Washington today to hear from directly from them. When you serve in the Navy, you understand that the crew of the ship is like a family, and the loss of seven sailors over the course of a year has hit the crew hard,” Rep. Luria said. “When these incidents happen, it’s important to take a deep and broad look at all the contributing factors on USS George Washington and the Navy as a whole. I was encouraged to see the Navy moving sailors off the ship and improving conditions aboard, while also increasing in mental health resources and support services. I will continue to monitor the situation and have conversations with Navy and Department of Defense leadership. Every servicemember must be treated with respect and have access to support services, and we have an obligation to ensure that our active-duty personnel on USS George Washington and across the Navy are being heard and supported while serving our country.”