Earlier this month, a 19-year-old sailor serving on the USS Abraham Lincoln, in the midst of a record-long deployment and an unexplained war, apparently reached the breaking point — and jumped overboard.

The sailor, whose name has not been publicly released, survived the incident, though he’s now facing disciplinary action and likely punishment from the military. MS NOW reported this week:

A sailor who jumped from the USS Abraham Lincoln this month in what his wife described 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 nonjudicial punishment for violating articles of the Uniform Code of Military Justice.

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.

Time will tell what kind of punishments, if any, are imposed on the sailor, though he’s not the only service member facing disciplinary action: Maj. Jason Watson, a U.S. airman who was recently arrested after calling for Donald Trump’s removal from office over the war with Iran, is also slated to face possible military justice.

On the one hand, it’s easy to understand why the Defense Department would emphasize the importance of discipline, especially during an ongoing military conflict. On the other hand, it’s also worth appreciating the fact that while these young men face punishments, others accused of wrongdoing have received qualitatively different kinds of treatment from Secretary Pete Hegseth’s Pentagon.

Last month, for example, helicopter pilots from the South Carolina National Guard flew at surprisingly low altitudes over a July 4 beach gathering, and after they landed, officers were immediately notified of their suspensions, pending an investigation into possible safety violations.

Hegseth soon after personally intervened, derailed the investigation, and reversed the suspension. The Washington Post reported, “It is unusual for a defense secretary to weigh in on disciplinary matters typically addressed by military commanders in charge of the troops involved.”

That’s true, though it has become more common under Hegseth. Indeed, the former Fox News host also intervened on behalf of the troops responsible for an unauthorized helicopter flyby of Kid Rock’s Tennessee estate. The New York Times reported soon after that the secretary’s direct efforts represented “a remarkable intervention from the highest level of the Pentagon,” adding that the decree “was another indication of [Hegseth’s] contempt for legal guardrails in the military.”

Also in July, a jet from the Navy’s Blue Angels, a squad that performs flight demonstrations, flew so close to the ground that it shocked Florida beachgoers, sending items and sand up into the air. Instead of emphasizing military discipline, Hegseth celebrated the incident and continued to joke about it weeks later.

The juxtaposition is striking: If a desperate sailor in the midst of severe mental health distress jumps overboard, he faces military punishment. If service members ignore safety standards and military protocols in ways Hegseth finds entertaining, they get a pat on the back.

In a recent piece for The Atlantic, Brynn Tannehill wrote that the secretary has sent a dangerous message to service members: “As long as what you do looks cool and puts on a show for the public, you can break flight rules without consequences.”

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From MS Now.