The Pentagon’s unbiased watchdog will examine the Navy‘s skill to forestall and reply to suicides, a lately posted memo revealed.
The memo, dated Feb. 27, says that investigators from the Pentagon’s Workplace of Inspector Normal will attempt to “decide whether or not the Division of Navy successfully took actions to forestall and reply to incidents of deaths by suicide, suicide makes an attempt, and suicidal ideation amongst members of the Navy assigned to sea obligation or shore obligation.”
The investigation comes after the ocean service skilled a number of suicide clusters aboard its ships that have been present process upkeep at shipyards on each coasts, in addition to an East Coast upkeep depot. The Navy’s personal audits have discovered the service’s implementation of suicide prevention efforts to be missing.
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The memo notes that investigators plan to go to many of the Navy’s predominant base areas, particularly citing Norfolk Naval Air Station in Virginia; Naval Base San Diego in California; Naval Base Kitsap in Bremerton, Washington; and Naval Station Pearl Harbor in Hawaii.
The Navy has been plagued with high-profile suicide clusters and media protection of the incidents for a number of years.
In 2022, Navy.com first reported that the USS George Washington, an plane provider that was present process an enormous yearslong overhaul, had suffered at the least 9 suicides since November 2019.
Later, Navy investigations confirmed that quality-of-life points, together with poor management and a basic failure to deal with sailors, mainly left them fending for themselves and drove suicidal ideas to grow to be widespread on the ship.
The USS Theodore Roosevelt, an plane provider that underwent a a lot shorter 18-month overhaul in Bremerton, additionally had at the least three suicides aboard. The final of these occurred in January 2023.
A Navy spokesperson advised Navy.com that they have been “conscious of the announcement, and we’re standing by to assist the analysis.”
“The Division of Navy stays dedicated to the well-being and psychological well being of our sailors and their households and can proceed to prioritize suicide prevention efforts,” the spokesperson added.
The Navy’s investigation right into a cluster of 4 suicides within the fall of 2022 at a regional upkeep middle in Norfolk revealed that the command — staffed in no small half by sailors who’re present process psychological well being or different medical points — was not outfitted to deal with their wants.
The investigation additionally discovered that the command struggled to supply even primary suicide prevention, and its insurance policies did not have any steerage on coping with sailors who demonstrated suicidal behaviors or what must be executed within the aftermath of a suicide.
Investigators additionally discovered that the unit hadn’t carried out an annual suicide prevention drill in three years.
That investigation additionally revealed that “the Navy, writ giant, has failed to completely implement the suicide prevention program” as outlined by its personal guidelines.
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