Evidence

There’s at least a little evidence supporting my hypothesis that command and discipline problems in the Western Pacific area of operations are contributing factors to the ship collisions that have occurred there recently. Reuters reports:

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. Navy dismissed two senior officers on Monday after a series of collisions involving Seventh Fleet warships in Asia, citing a loss of confidence in their ability to command.

Rear Admiral Charles Williams, commander of Task Force 70, and Captain Jeffrey Bennett, commander of Destroyer Squadron 15, were fired by Seventh Fleet commander Vice Admiral Phil Sawyer, the Navy said. In August, Sawyer replaced fleet commander Vice Admiral Joseph Aucoin, who was fired after the accidents.

“Both reliefs were due to a loss of confidence in their ability to command,” the Navy statement said.

Various actions have been taken with respect to other officers as well.

1 comment… add one
  • Andy Link

    One thing I always respected about the US Navy is that they have no issues firing Commanders and senior officers for a “loss of confidence.”

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