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Help Us Find Out Whether Navy Reforms Are Actually Making a Difference

The Navy promised to implement reforms in the wake of two deadly 2017 crashes. We’re trying to find out how it’s doing — and we need to hear from sailors in all six of the numbered fleets that patrol the world’s oceans.

The USS Fitzgerald arrives at Yokosuka Port in Japan after a collision with a container ship in 2017. (The Asahi Shimbun via Getty Images)

This month we published an investigation into how top Navy brass ignored years of warnings from within its own ranks before two historically deadly accidents in 2017 killed 17 sailors on the USS Fitzgerald and USS John S. McCain.

In the weeks since the investigation, scores of current and former Navy officers and sailors wrote and called us to say that not enough has changed: The Navy is continuing to neglect its ships and its crews.

We are taking this outreach seriously.

The Navy has promised reforms, but detailed information about the progress of those fixes is hard to come by. This is where you come in: We need as many active duty or recently retired Navy service members as possible to fill out the following questionnaire. Help us figure out whether substantive changes have actually been made. Are those changes addressing the problems uncovered by the crashes? How much of a difference are they making?

We’re trying to get as complete a picture as possible from the people in the best position to know. Our goal is to hear from active service members from the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th fleets. If you know someone serving there, we hope you will share this with them. If you have family or friends whose safety you’re worried about, we’d also love to hear from you.

The following questionnaire is submitted securely. However, the administrator of the network you're on may be able to see your communication. If you’d rather talk on Signal, WhatsApp or LINE, which are more secure, send a message to 213-271-7217. You can also email us at [email protected].

The questionnaire is now closed.

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