The New York Times story about the sailor who jumped from the Lincoln, but instead of receiving treatment he was accused of embezzlement and fired. Nicholas McCloy, a 19-year-old Navy sailor, jumped 67 feet into the sea from the flight deck last August after a grueling 255-day deployment aboard the aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln. He worked 12-hour shifts in the scorching heat, he missed the birth of his daughter, his wife's family was battling cancer, and food was scarce on the ship. "I didn't want to be there anymore," he said. If I was going to die, so be it." He was rescued by helicopter and returned to the ship 50 minutes later. During that 322-day deployment, there were eight suicide attempts on Task Force Lincoln. The Navy accused him of negligence, faking a mental health crisis to end his deployment, and leaving his post. The commander found him guilty and he was released on general release under honorable conditions. This means that he is eligible for educational assistance under the G.I. Bill doesn't, and the college track his family counted on is cut off. "They don't want to take responsibility for what happened to him," his wife said. They prefer to blame the victim." When she went to the therapist to explain, McCloy said, the therapist cut her off and said, "Now don't try to change anything." Military law experts said this case created complex problems. Some saw the disciplinary response as legitimate and relatively mild, since harassment is sometimes a criminal offense. But others questioned whether the Navy adequately addressed the distress that prompted it to jump. "You're going to have commanders willing to punish people who risk their lives in a moment of extreme psychological trauma," said Rachel Vanlandingham, a former Air Force attorney. But actually you don't have to punish it. It needs to be taken care of." The Navy did not directly respond to questions about McCloy, but said the ships have a multidisciplinary mental health team. McCloy's case offers a rare glimpse into how the Navy deals with mental health during long deployments and whether officers treated his jump as misconduct without properly investigating the reasons.

The New York Times story about the sailor who jumped from the Lincoln, but instead of receiving treatment he was accused of embezzlement and fired. Nicholas McCloy, a 19-year-old Navy sailor, jumped 67 feet into the sea from the flight deck last August after a grueling 255-day deployment aboard the aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln. He worked 12-hour shifts in the scorching heat, he missed the birth of his daughter, his wife's family was battling cancer, and food was scarce on the ship. "I didn't want to be there anymore," he said. If I was going to die, so be it." He was rescued by helicopter and returned to the ship 50 minutes later. During that 322-day deployment, there were eight suicide attempts on Task Force Lincoln. The Navy accused him of negligence, faking a mental health crisis to end his deployment, and leaving his post. The commander found him guilty and he was released on general release under honorable conditions. This means that he is eligible for educational assistance under the G.I. Bill doesn't, and the college track his family counted on is cut off. "They don't want to take responsibility for what happened to him," his wife said. They prefer to blame the victim." When she went to the therapist to explain, McCloy said, the therapist cut her off and said, "Now don't try to change anything." Military law experts said this case created complex problems. Some saw the disciplinary response as legitimate and relatively mild, since harassment is sometimes a criminal offense. But others questioned whether the Navy adequately addressed the distress that prompted it to jump. "You're going to have commanders willing to punish people who risk their lives in a moment of extreme psychological trauma," said Rachel Vanlandingham, a former Air Force attorney. But actually you don't have to punish it. It needs to be taken care of." The Navy did not directly respond to questions about McCloy, but said the ships have a multidisciplinary mental health team. McCloy's case offers a rare glimpse into how the Navy deals with mental health during long deployments and whether officers treated his jump as misconduct without properly investigating the reasons.