https://www.ms.now/news/navy-sailor-jumped-overboard-uss-lincoln-discipline-punishmentNavy sailor who jumped off USS Lincoln faces disciplinary chargesThe sailor on the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier who jumped overboard in an attempt to die by suicide has been charged with violations and could have his pay docked.
A sailor who jumped from the USS Abraham Lincoln this month in what his wife described as a suicide attempt is now facing disciplinary action from the Navy, according to his wife and charging documents reviewed by MS NOW.
The wife, who was granted anonymity to discuss sensitive disciplinary actions, said her husband is facing nonjudicial punishment for violating articles of the Uniform Code of Military Justice.
The charging documents, which were reviewed by MS NOW, show that the sailor has been accused of violating Article 83 for โmalingering,โ which is defined as a service member โintentionally faking an illness or hurting themselves to avoid work, duty or service,โ and Article 86 for โabsence without leave,โ which means a service member failed to be at their required place of duty without proper authority.
โI think theyโre insane for doing this to people who need mental help,โ the wife told MS NOW. โInstead of giving them help, this is just another huge stressor.โ
The couple, who are both 19, share a 3ยฝ-year-old son and welcomed a daughter in February while the sailor was deployed. His wife said he has repeatedly requested paternity leave and been denied each time.
Her husband jumped overboard on Aug. 3, she said, and was medically evacuated and returned to San Diego on Aug. 13, where he then spent five days at Naval Medical Center San Diego, known as Balboa. During that stay, she said medical staff monitored his vital signs, but he did not see a psychiatrist or a therapist. He was told to report back to work immediately after his release. His first therapy appointment came on Aug. 26, nearly two weeks after he arrived back in San Diego.
The sailor is now facing nonjudicial punishment, which is typically used by commanders to reprimand service members for minor rule-breaking. It also allows them to avoid a more formal and lengthy court-martial process, which could result in an official conviction.
The sailor will ultimately end up in whatโs called a โcaptainโs mast,โ where a commanding officer will decide the punishment. According to the charging documents, the sailor could end up losing half their normal pay.
The handling of the suicide attempt by the Navy is raising serious questions about how mental health is dealt with in the military, especially as deployments are hitting record lengths.
Rep. Sara Jacobs, D-Calif., a member of the House Armed Services Committee who represents the USS Lincolnโs home port of San Diego, told MS NOW she remains concerned about the well-being of the sailors and Marines deployed on ships like the USS Lincoln given the number of reports in recent weeks.
โNo one should be punished for getting the mental health care they need,โ Jacobs said. โI will continue to call on the Navy to provide our Sailors with the necessary support they deserve and will continue doing oversight to ensure that is the case.โ
Earlier this year, the Department of Defense released its seventh annual report on suicide in the military. The report found that 471 service members across all branches of the military died by suicide in 2024, down from 531 in 2023.
Military lawyers say while the Department of Defense has dedicated resources for service members struggling with their mental health, there is still a legal mechanism for the department to also punish those who attempt to take their lives.
โWe tell service members to reach out for help, and then we keep a criminal statute on the books for the ones who didnโt get it in time. Thatโs a policy choice,โ said Cody Harnish, a former Army judge advocate general who now represents military service members.