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Re: Navy files negligent homicide charges against former Fitzgerald, McCain commanders
Posted: Fri Jan 19, 2018 8:35 pm
by Langenator
So, a 3 and 4 star take early retirement, two 1-stars get relieved (and I assume forced into immediate retirement).
But only the two O-5s face criminal charges.
"Rowden and Pacific Fleet Commander Adm. Scott Swift announced their retirements in the immediate wake of the accidents. Both the commanding officers of Fitzgerald and McCain were relieved as well as senior leaders on the ships. Both the one-star Reagan strike group commander and the head of the Japan-based Destroyer Squadron 15 were relieved, as well as the three-star head of the U.S. Navy’s 7th Fleet in Japan."
https://www.defensenews.com/naval/2018/ ... Bird+Brief
Re: Navy files negligent homicide charges against former Fitzgerald, McCain commanders
Posted: Fri Jan 19, 2018 8:38 pm
by randy
Langenator wrote:So, a 3 and 4 star take early retirement, two 1-stars get relieved (and I assume forced into immediate retirement).
But only the two O-5s face criminal charges.
"Rowden and Pacific Fleet Commander Adm. Scott Swift announced their retirements in the immediate wake of the accidents. Both the commanding officers of Fitzgerald and McCain were relieved as well as senior leaders on the ships. Both the one-star Reagan strike group commander and the head of the Japan-based Destroyer Squadron 15 were relieved, as well as the three-star head of the U.S. Navy’s 7th Fleet in Japan."
https://www.defensenews.com/naval/2018/ ... Bird+Brief
Sounds like OPS NORMAL procedures to me.
Re: Navy files negligent homicide charges against former Fitzgerald, McCain commanders
Posted: Sat Jan 20, 2018 4:08 am
by Vonz90
Langenator wrote:So, a 3 and 4 star take early retirement, two 1-stars get relieved (and I assume forced into immediate retirement).
But only the two O-5s face criminal charges.
"Rowden and Pacific Fleet Commander Adm. Scott Swift announced their retirements in the immediate wake of the accidents. Both the commanding officers of Fitzgerald and McCain were relieved as well as senior leaders on the ships. Both the one-star Reagan strike group commander and the head of the Japan-based Destroyer Squadron 15 were relieved, as well as the three-star head of the U.S. Navy’s 7th Fleet in Japan."
https://www.defensenews.com/naval/2018/ ... Bird+Brief
They may have done crappy jobs, but they also did not sign off as being responsible for the ship. The Captain has pretty much unlimited authority on the ship because he also has pretty much unlimited responsibility for it. That is the way it is and always has been. Or to put it another way, the safe navigation of the ship is the Captain's responsibility, he can delegate the authority that goes with that but he cannot delegate the responsibility that comes with it.