5 disciplined in Arleigh Burke grounding

 

By Andrew Scutro - Staff writer

Posted : Monday Jul 9, 2007 5:53:51 EDT

 

NORFOLK, Va. — Cmdr. E.J. McClure, former captain of the destroyer Arleigh Burke, was administratively disciplined July 3 along with her executive officer and two other officers in a nonjudicial hearing convened in response to the ship running aground May 15.

 

“Appropriate administrative actions” were taken against the four Arleigh Burke officers, said Lt. Cmdr. Herb Josey, public affairs officer for Naval Surface Force Atlantic. He did not disclose the nature of the actions due to privacy considerations.

 

The commodore of Destroyer Squadron 2, Capt. Larry Tindal, was taken separately to an admiral’s mast in connection with the incident. He, too, was awarded “appropriate administrative action,” Josey said, again not revealing more because of privacy constraints. Tindal was aboard the Burke at the time of the grounding. He remains the squadron commodore.

 

Rear Adm. Dan Holloway, commander of Carrier Strike Group 12, conducted both hearings.

 

Holloway relieved McClure of command on May 21 for “loss of confidence in her ability to command.” She now works for the staff of Naval Surface Force Atlantic.

 

Find Navy Times article here.

The destroyer’s executive officer, Lt. Cmdr. Allen Hobbs, remains with the ship. Two other officers who appeared at the hearing as a result of the grounding also remain assigned to the ship, Josey said.

 

The Arleigh Burke ran aground May 15 as the ship was passing Cape Henry en route to Norfolk. Josey said the ship was not damaged and no one was injured.

 

Josey said the investigation into the grounding was complete. A formal Mishap Investigation Report is pending.

 

The Arleigh Burke is scheduled to ship out with the Enterprise Carrier Strike Group July 9 for a Middle East deployment.

CO firings on track to match 2003 record

 

By Andrew Scutro - Staff writer

Posted : Tuesday Jul 10, 2007 5:31:47 EDT

 

NORFOLK, Va. — Commanding officer firings in 2007 are accumulating at such a rate that year-end figures could match 2003, when 26 commanders were fired — mostly for personal misconduct — sparking a fleetwide investigation into training and selection of commanding officers.

 

In a brief for Navy career counselors at an annual convention held in Dallas in late June, Capt. Michael Reed, inspector general for Fleet Forces Command, presented the sobering report.

 

Just six months into 2007, 10 commanding officers have already been relieved, Reed said, one less than for all of 2006.

 

Of the 10, five were relieved for personal misconduct, three for poor performance, and two were in command during a “significant event.”

 

If the trend continues, Reed told the attendees, 2007 could turn out to be as bad a year as the record-setting 2003.

 

Reed cited personal misconduct as the primary cause for the 2003 firings, saying his office thoroughly analyzed all 26 incidents.

 

“As I say, it’s sex, drugs and rock and roll — that’s what it is,” he said during the symposium. “And in almost every single case, somebody in the command knew about it.”

 

Lt. Cmdr. Steve Thompson, media officer at Fleet Forces Command, said the inspector general’s office updates its CO firing report monthly and presents it to commanding officers, executive officers and command master chiefs as “a preventive step” and a warning of “what not to do,” he said.

 

He said no actions like the 2003 investigation or other policy changes are planned.

 

“There was an uptick, but overall, there is no problem,” he said.

 

In the Dallas briefing, reasons for CO relief were categorized as: personal misconduct by the commander; poor command climate that led to low unit morale; substandard commander performance; and a “significant event,” such as a collision, grounding, aviation mishap or death.

 

Reed said about 1 percent of commanders get in trouble, but the current trend could bump up that figure.

 

“I’m worried we can easily get above that 1 percent threshold and get into 2 percent,” he said. “

 

Over the past four years, 26 COs were fired in 2003, 12 in both 2004 and 2005, and 11 in 2006. In his brief, Reed urged the audience to take action when they know something is wrong.

 

 

Mark D. Faram contributed to this report.

 

Find Navy Times article here.