May 17, 200718 yr Is it just like everything else, that since we all have more opportunity to hear/read it, the more it "appears" to be happening. Reading navytime.com today, two more skippers have either been relieved, or have a good chance, in this case ground Arliegh Burke outside of Norfolk. CO of Arliegh Burke ran around, oh soft aground, so that's ok. CO of USS Helena (SSN) CO of USS Constitution And more than one or two over the past weeks that I am not currently able to pull up on the site. What's going on? Is it OPTEMPO? I'm not saying that there are not leadership failures in both the Army and Marines, but those forces are currently "engaged".
May 17, 200718 yr There was also this story of how the Perry frigate USS Samuel B. Roberts had to be towed ashore after "engineering difficulties" (rumours of a grounding but sounds more like major engine problems to me). No news yet on what will happen to that skipper.
May 18, 200718 yr Author [This sums up some of the recent firings] Sub CO is latest in series of skipper firings By Gidget Fuentes - Staff writer Posted : Thursday May 17, 2007 14:54:20 EDT SAN DIEGO — The skipper of the fast-attack submarine Helena was relieved of command Wednesday for “loss of confidence,” a Navy spokeswoman said, the most recent firing in what has become a rash of commanding officer-level dismissals for “administrative” reasons. Cmdr. William A. Schwalm was relieved of command of Helena by his boss, Capt. Paul N. Jaenichen, commodore of Submarine Squadron 11, said Lt. Alli Myrick, a squadron spokeswoman at Point Loma Naval Base in San Diego. Jaenichen made his decision based on “just a pattern of performance over time that was consistently not meeting the standards” expected of a commanding officer, Myrick said. The captain lost confidence “in his ability to maintain the Helena crew’s proficiency and level of readiness.” Schwalm was the fifth skipper to be fired in the past month — his four predecessors include the captain of an EA-6 Prowler electronic warfare squadron, just nine days after he’d taken command; the head of a major national recruiting district; the captain of a destroyer on its way to the Persian Gulf; and the captain of the historical ship USS Constitution, “Old Ironsides.” Although the Navy has officially revealed little about the various dismissals, sources have unofficially hinted that potential causes range from simple incompetence to improper fraternization to an allegation that a captain struck an enlisted crew member. Schwalm had assumed command of Helena on June 9 and led the submarine on a two-month deployment to the U.S. Southern Command region. He has been temporarily reassigned to a position at Naval Mine and Anti-submarine Warfare Command in San Diego, Myrick said. Jaenichen assigned Cmdr. Daryl L. Caudle, his deputy at the submarine squadron, as the temporary commander of Helena until a permanent skipper is named. Caudle most recently had command of the fast-attack boat, Jefferson City. Schwalm, a native of Petersburg, Mich., who was commissioned into the Navy in 1987, has served on five submarines, including the fast-attack submarine Philadelphia, where he served as the executive officer, according to his official biography. His other submarine assignments include the Daniel Webster, Sea Devil and Alabama. Among his military decorations are the Defense Superior Service Medal, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Navy Meritorious Service Medal, Navy Commendation Medal (three awards) and Navy Achievement Medal (two awards). Find article here.
May 21, 200718 yr Author 5 COs fired in 5 weeks, and more may follow By Zachary M. Peterson - Staff writer Posted : Monday May 21, 2007 9:14:20 EDT The Navy’s recent troubled waters got even more turbulent May 11-16 as news got out of a destroyer grounding, a frigate apparently going dead in the water and a sub skipper being fired. The commanding-officer sacking was the fifth in as many weeks. What’s more, the Coast Guard “temporarily reassigned” the CO of a 270-foot cutter after he was arrested on charges of assaulting a bartender in Key West, Fla. The troubles began May 11, when the frigate Samuel B. Roberts was coming into port in Argentina after completing the annual UNITAS Atlantic exercise with other Navy and foreign ships. The Roberts experienced “engineering difficulties” and had to be pulled into port by tugboats, said Lt. Cmdr. Jon Spiers, a Naval Forces South spokesman. The frigate is commanded by Cmdr. Marc Weeks. It’s unclear exactly what caused the frigate to apparently go dead in the water. Spiers would not comment on the specifics of the “engineering difficulties.” He did note that tugboats pulled the ship into port at Puerto Belgrano. There were no injuries onboard, he added. Navy investigators are in Argentina assessing the ship’s condition and reviewing the incident. A few days later, the guided-missile destroyer Arleigh Burke ran aground off the coast of Norfolk, Va. Cmdr. Herman Phillips, a 2nd Fleet spokesman, described it as a “soft grounding,” noting the ship was able to arrive in port May 15 under its own power. There was no apparent damage to the vessel, Phillips added. Cmdr. E.J. McClure commands the Burke. Capt. Ralph “Larry” Tindal, commodore of Destroyer Squadron 2, was also onboard at the time of the grounding, according to the Navy. The Norfolk grounding is especially odd given the well-charted waters. The Navy declined to provide specifics and is investigating. The service reported no injuries. In the fifth skipper dismissal in five weeks, the Navy announced May 16 that Cmdr. William A. Schwalm was relieved of command of the fast-attack submarine Helena. Capt. Paul N. Jaenichen, commodore of San Diego-based Submarine Squadron 11 and Schwalm’s boss, said he had lost confidence in the commander’s ability to “maintain the Helena crew’s proficiency and level of readiness.” Jaenichen assigned Cmdr. Daryl L. Caudle, his deputy at the submarine squadron, as the temporary commander of Helena until a permanent skipper is named. Caudle most recently had command of the fast-attack boat Jefferson City. The latest firing comes on the heels of four others in the past month: * The captain of an electronic warfare squadron, just nine days after he took command. * The head of a major recruiting district. * The commanding officer of a destroyer headed for the Persian Gulf. * The commander of the historic ship USS Constitution, “Old Ironsides,” in Boston. None of the firings was related to mishaps or operational errors. The Navy has not released much information on the dismissals, but sources have suggested causes range from incompetence to fraternization to an allegation that a captain struck an enlisted crew member. The Coast Guard reassignment is more straightforward, however. Cmdr. Michael Sabellico, skipper of the 270-foot medium-endurance cutter Escanaba, was arrested in Key West on May 15 after an apparent bar brawl. According to the police report, Sabellico and several crew members were drinking at bars along the island’s famed Duval Street when they argued with a bartender at an Irish pub. Sabellico and the crew members allegedly were loitering in an alley when the bartender at Irish Kevin’s asked them to leave. They left as requested, but according to the report, Sabellico returned and scuffled with the man. He then left the scene. Sabellico was apprehended later and charged with simple assault. Sabellico remains the Escanaba’s skipper, but he was temporarily reassigned to the Coast Guard’s 1st District. Cmdr. Chris Austin has assumed temporary command of the cutter. Staff writers Patricia Kime and Gidget Fuentes contributed to this report. Discuss: 5 COs fired in 5 weeks Previous stories: 4 sacked in 4 weeks Coastie skipper arrested after Key West bar brawl Sub CO is latest in series of skipper firings Arleigh Burke runs aground off Norfolk Tugs tow Sammy B to port after exercise Destroyer CO fired while on way to Persian Gulf Skipper of historic ship Constitution fired CO of cutter Alex Haley relieved of duty New York-area recruiting commander relieved Prowler CO relieved after 9 days in command Find article here.
May 22, 200718 yr Author Burke skipper fired Sixth CO sacked in 6 weeks By Andrew Scutro - Staff writer Posted : Tuesday May 22, 2007 9:03:29 EDT NORFOLK, Va. — Cmdr. E.J. McClure, captain of the destroyer Arleigh Burke, was relieved of command Monday by Rear Adm. Dan Holloway, commander of Carrier Strike Group 12, according to a Navy official. Holloway had a “loss of confidence in her ability to command” following the May 15 “soft grounding” of the Burke off Norfolk as the ship was heading back into port. No one was injured in the incident, but damage to the ship is still being assessed, according to the official. McClure was temporarily reassigned to Naval Surface Force, Atlantic. Burke’s executive officer, Lt. Cmdr. Allen Hobbs, is the interim commander. Destroyer Squadron 2 commodore Capt. Larry Tindal was aboard Burke at the time of the grounding. His status following the incident, “will come out in the investigation,” by CSG 12 officers, the official said. McClure is the sixth CO to be relieved since April 16. Related reading: 5 COs fired in 5 weeks, and more may follow Find article here.
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