Two sailors assigned to the aircraft carrier George Washington died just days after the ship’s return to its homeport in Yokosuka Naval Base, Japan.
Petty Officer 2nd Class Cuyler Burnett Condon and Seaman Dimitri Isacc Morales died in separate incidents following the ship’s return to U.S. 7th Fleet, Stars and Stripes reported.
Condon, a Texas native who worked as an electrician’s mate nuclear, was found unresponsive on Nov. 22 in an on-base hotel room. He was pronounced dead at the scene, according to Stripes.
Three days later, on Nov. 25, Morales, an electrician’s mate fireman, was discovered unresponsive off base in Yokosuka and subsequently pronounced dead by Yokosuka authorities, the report said.
The Naval Criminal Investigation Service is reportedly investigating the deaths and working with Japanese law enforcement.
Condon joined the Navy in January 2019, according to Stripes, attending Recruit Training Command in Great Lakes, Illinois, before reporting to the carrier George Washington in January 2021.
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Morales enlisted in July 2022 and was assigned to the aircraft carrier in October 2023.
The George Washington returned to Japan on Nov. 22 for the first time in nearly a decade, establishing the ship as the Navy’s only forward-deployed carrier.
“A U.S. carrier represents the most advanced maritime capability we have, and it’s the most advanced investment we can make in the security of Japan and of the Western Pacific,” Vice Adm. Fred Kacher, commander of U.S. 7th Fleet, said in a statement at the time of the carrier’s arrival.
Yokosuka Naval Base was the carrier’s homeport from 2008 to 2015. The George Washington was eventually moved to Virginia in 2017 for a midlife refueling and maintenance overhaul. That process was initially slated to take four years, but delays pushed the completion back to May 2023.
The carrier replaced the Ronald Regan in Japan so the outgoing ship could undergo a tune-up in Bremerton, Washington.
Riley Ceder is an editorial fellow at Military Times, where he covers breaking news, criminal justice and human interest stories. He previously worked as an investigative practicum student at The Washington Post, where he contributed to the ongoing Abused by the Badge investigation.
