A sailor who jumped from the USS Abraham Lincoln this month in what his wife describes 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 non-judicial punishment for violating articles of the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ).
The charging documents, which were reviewed by MS NOW, show that the sailor has been accused of violating Article 83 for “malingering,” which is defined as a service member “intentionally faking an illness or hurting themselves to avoid work, duty or service,” and Article 86 for “absence without leave,” which means a service member failed to be at their required place of duty without proper authority.
“I think they’re insane for doing this to people who need mental help,” the wife told MS NOW. “Instead of giving them help, this is just another huge stressor.”
The couple, who are both 19, share a 3½-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 non-judicial 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 what’s called a “captain’s mast,” 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 Lincoln’s 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 Lincoln given the number of reports in recent weeks.
“No one should be punished for getting the mental health care they need,” said Jacobs. “I 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.”
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.
“We tell service members to reach out for help, and then we keep a criminal statute on the books for the ones who didn’t get it in time. That’s a policy choice,” said Cody Harnish, a former Army judge advocate general who now represents military service members.
Harnish noted that while the manual for court martials says that bona fide suicide attempts should not be charged, pursuing charges and a punishment is at the discretion of the commanding officer.
When asked about the decision to pursue non-judicial punishment for suicide attempts, a Navy official said: “The Navy is fully committed to the health and wellbeing of every Sailor. We strive to foster environments that support mental health by removing barriers to seeking help, increasing awareness of resources, and taking appropriate action when someone is in need. Mental health resources are available to our Sailors 24/7, and asking for help is a sign of strength.”
The Lincoln left its home port of San Diego on Nov. 21, 2025 and its deployment has been extended multiple times due to the war with Iran. Family members told MS NOW that service members have described emotional strain and other mental health problems over the course of the nine-month deployment.
The wife previously shared with MS NOW that she was not contacted by Navy officials about what she describes as her husband’s suicide attempt until four days after he jumped overboard. She said she learned about the incident via a message from one of her husband’s friends on the ship.
After contacting the ship’s ombudsman for more information, she said she received an email from the command master chief of the squadron days later, in which they said her husband was “safe and sound onboard and will be returning to San Diego soon to receive support from Balboa,” according to the email, which was shared with MS NOW.
Before he jumped, his wife said he went to his chain of command and the ship’s medical team several times to raise concerns about his mental health and was brushed off.
In a text message on July 21, 13 days before he jumped, the sailor wrote to his wife: “i think the boat is finally getting to me.” He said he was trying not to feel hopeless after learning the deployment had been extended again.
“i dont think i can do another deployment after this and i dont even know if i can finish this deployment,” he wrote.
If you or someone you know is in crisis, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline or chat live at 988lifeline.org. You can also visit SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for additional support.
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