Navy Sailor Dies by Suicide After Deployment Keeps Getting Extended

Jaimie Bethea, a Navy sailor, died by suicide after an extended deployment aboard the USS Fort Lauderdale. She spent 11 months on the ship, which is part of the Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group. The USS Fort Lauderdale, with a crew of about 350 sailors, lacks onboard mental health specialists. Instead, medical officers, Navy corpsmen, and chaplains provide healthcare and suicide-prevention support, highlighting a gap in mental health services on smaller Navy vessels.