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USS Fitzgerald Combat Team Unaware of Approaching Merchant Ship Until Seconds Before Fatal Collision
U.S. Naval Institute Proceedings ^ | May 10, 2018 | :Sam LaGrone

Posted on 05/13/2018 2:59:41 PM PDT by Retain Mike

The sailors who were manning the combat nerve center of USS Fitzgerald (DDG-62) did not know they were on a collision course with a ship almost three times their size until about one minute before impact, according to new information revealed in the preliminary hearing for two junior officers accused of negligent homicide for their role in the collision that resulted in the death of seven sailors.

Lt. Natalie Combs, the tactical action officer, and Lt. Irian Woodley, the surface warfare coordinator, were both on duty in the windowless combat information in the belly of the guided-missile destroyer on early on the morning of June 17 as the ship moved southwest from the coast of Japan less than a day out of port.

(Excerpt) Read more at news.usni.org ...


TOPICS: Military/Veterans
KEYWORDS: collision; fitzgerald; navy
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To: Mariner

“The skipper and the XO own this one. IN ADDITION to those already mentioned/charged.”

I learned “you can delegate authority, but you cannot delegate responsibility”


81 posted on 05/13/2018 6:27:48 PM PDT by truth_seeker ( \/**|_|**\/)
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To: redangus

Eyes, ears and balance


82 posted on 05/13/2018 6:33:47 PM PDT by rktman (Enlisted in the Navy in '67 to protect folks rights to strip my rights. WTH?)
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To: Billthedrill
What the hell has happened to my Navy?

I am wondering exactly the same thing.

"Ceterum censeo Islam esse delendam."

Garde la Foi, mes amis! Nous nous sommes les sauveurs de la République! Maintenant et Toujours!
(Keep the Faith, my friends! We are the saviors of the Republic! Now and Forever!)

LonePalm, le Républicain du verre cassé (The Broken Glass Republican)

83 posted on 05/13/2018 6:37:57 PM PDT by LonePalm (Commander and Chef)
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To: LonePalm
man would i love to see her personnel file
84 posted on 05/13/2018 6:38:35 PM PDT by Chode (You have all of the resources you are going to have. Abandon your illusions and plan accordingly.)
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To: LonePalm
A SWO qualified ENSIGN? Really?

You're not going to like this. There is no more SWOS Basic, and hasn't been since 2003. They give them a set of CD/ROMs these days - I swear I am not making this up. See HERE. I hope your jaw didn't hurt when it hit the table. These young officers are working for CO's and XO's who also never attended SWOS Basic. Somebody thought online training and a little OJT was enough. The chickens, as the linked article says, have come home to roost.

85 posted on 05/13/2018 6:39:25 PM PDT by Billthedrill
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To: truth_seeker

Criminal negligence resulting in 7 deaths and $50-$100 million in damage.

That should result in at least 20 years hard labor for all responsible.

That’s how you put an end to this sh!t.


86 posted on 05/13/2018 6:47:36 PM PDT by Mariner (War Criminal #18)
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To: Billthedrill

A sad state of affairs.


87 posted on 05/13/2018 6:53:24 PM PDT by Bull Snipe
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To: Billthedrill
You're right. I don't like it worth a damn.

Can these yahoos actually navigate without GPS or inertial nav? I actually had to shoot stars, noon, and sun lines with a REAL sextant and I started as an engineering officer before moving to CIC. The Weaps Boss taught me how to do maneuvering board approximates in my head while I was his JOOD. The CO thought it was great that we could get a maneuvering jump on the other ships while CIC worked out an exact solution.

My OSs were shocked as hell that their new division officer was faster and better at maneuvering board than anyone except the Chief.

"Ceterum censeo Islam esse delendam."

Garde la Foi, mes amis! Nous nous sommes les sauveurs de la République! Maintenant et Toujours!
(Keep the Faith, my friends! We are the saviors of the Republic! Now and Forever!)

LonePalm, le Républicain du verre cassé (The Broken Glass Republican)

88 posted on 05/13/2018 6:54:31 PM PDT by LonePalm (Commander and Chef)
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To: Steely Tom

Perhaps a little grab ass poo and kissy face? Maybe they ought to be in a place with winduws?


89 posted on 05/13/2018 7:12:47 PM PDT by Bonemaker (invictus maneo)
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To: Steely Tom
"Perhaps Lt. Combs and Lt. Woodley were distracted by something."


90 posted on 05/13/2018 7:21:40 PM PDT by Lockbar (What would Vlad The Impaler do?)
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To: dblshot

Sounds like the crew of a Federation Starship.


91 posted on 05/13/2018 7:21:48 PM PDT by Rome2000 (SMASH THE CPUSA-SIC SEMPER TYRANNIS-CLOSE ALL MOSQUES-GOD WITH US)
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To: PeterPrinciple
What is the solution?

A heavy handed purge of the top ranks of the military. A top down cleanout of the Big 3 Academies and all of their graduates. (I'll give the Coast Guard and Merchant Marines the benefit of the doubt). General discharges for all the perverts and wimps in the lower ranks. Fill out the officer ranks from Citadel, VMI, Norwich, VPI, TAMU, North Georgia, and various ROTC programs.

92 posted on 05/13/2018 7:21:56 PM PDT by PAR35
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To: Billthedrill

Keep in mind it was two women who were at loggerheads. Most guys can work with other guys they don’t like. You do your job, they do theirs, and you both hope that one or the other of you gets transferred. Two women tend to personalize it. No real surprise that there were women at both ends of the non-communication.


93 posted on 05/13/2018 7:29:35 PM PDT by PAR35
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To: Paine in the Neck
"Back in the old days, constant bearing (i.e. a collision course) meant get the skipper on the horn - NOW."

When I was a midshipman, constant bearing decreasing distance got everyone excited. If I remember correctly, it was standard that if any ship got within "X" number of meters from another vessel (regardless of bearing), the ship's captain was notified "regardless of the time."

Maybe it is just me, but this situation seems to be something that a computer could easily handle and automatically send out a really loud sound.

94 posted on 05/13/2018 8:22:02 PM PDT by fini
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To: Billthedrill

Great post. I am glad that a former instructor read the articles. Here are other articles I have accumulated on the various 7th Fleet accidents.

Singapore Safety Report on USS John S. McCain Aug. 21, 2017 Collision
https://news.usni.org/2018/03/08/singapore-safety-report-uss-john-s-mccain-aug-21-2017-collision?utm_source=USNI+News&utm_campaign=3d90b38add-USNI_NEWS_DAILY&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_0dd4a1450b-3d90b38add-230377553&mc_cid=3d90b38add&mc_eid=d1b7ba249a

Response from a shipmate who now a Merchant Marine instructor:
In teaching the COLREGS to young Mariners and upgrading the older ones......I have had so many questions to what had happened involving the collision of the McCain. This report provides a very good look into the bridge management and events aboard each vessel.

The way the Report is organized and wordsmyth I may use it as required reading by my NavRules of the Road students. The Report covers at least 13 out of 38 rules they study, with specifics being:
14. Rule 2 - Responsibilities: Special Circumstances - when more than 2 vessels meeting, crossing or overtaking;
15. Rule 5 - Proper look-out; although, additional lookouts may NOT have prevented the collision, each vessel operated BELOW manning requirements which contributed to extra duties for existing bridge personnel, and inadequately trained personnel.
16. Rule 6 - Safe Speed;
17. Rule 7 - Risk of Collision;
18. Rule 8 - Action to Avoid Collision;
19. Rule 9 - Narrow Channels;
20. Rule 10 - Traffic Separation Schemes;
21. Rule 13 - Overtaking;
22. Rule 16 - Give-way Vessel;
23. Rule 17 - Stand-on Vessel;
24. Rule 27 - Vessels Not Under Command
25. Rule 34 - Maneuvering and Warning Signals;
26. Rule 36 - Signals to Attract Attention

The U.S. Navy’s Fundamental Problem
https://www.marinelink.com/amp/news/fundamental-problem-navys433437

More Punishments Issued for Fatal Western Pacific Destroyer Collisions; Dates Set for Initial D.C. Criminal Hearings
https://news.usni.org/2018/02/01/punishments-issued-fatal-western-pacific-destroyer-collisions-dates-set-initial-d-c-criminal-hearings?utm_source=USNI+News&utm_campaign=9e872bec98-USNI_NEWS_DAILY&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_0dd4a1450b-9e872bec98-230377553&mc_cid=9e872bec98&mc_eid=d1b7ba249a

Former USS John S. McCain XO Found Guilty of Dereliction of Duty
https://news.usni.org/2018/02/14/former-uss-john-s-mccain-xo-found-guilty-dereliction-duty-hearing?utm_source=USNI+News&utm_campaign=d90e8dd4fd-USNI_NEWS_DAILY&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_0dd4a1450b-d90e8dd4fd-230377553&mc_cid=d90e8dd4fd&mc_eid=d1b7ba249a

Document: Report on the Collision Between USS Lake Champlain (CG-57) and Fishing Vessel Nam Yang 502
https://news.usni.org/2017/11/30/document-report-collision-uss-lake-champlain-cg-57-fishing-vessel-nam-yang-502?utm_source=USNI+News&utm_campaign=47900e5f15-USNI_NEWS_DAILY&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_0dd4a1450b-47900e5f15-230377553&mc_cid=47900e5f15&mc_eid=d1b7ba249a

Collision Reports: Next Steps to Ensuring Surface Warfare Readiness
https://blog.usni.org/posts/2017/12/12/collision-reports-next-steps-to-ensuring-surface-warfare-readiness

USS Fitzgerald, USS John S. McCain Collision Report
https://news.usni.org/2017/11/01/uss-fitzgerald-uss-john-s-mccain-collision-report

Document: Investigation into the Deaths of 7 Sailors Aboard USS Fitzgerald
https://news.usni.org/2017/08/17/document-investigation-deaths-7-sailors-aboard-uss-fitzgerald


95 posted on 05/13/2018 8:36:16 PM PDT by Retain Mike
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To: rktman

Who was on Watch that day? Mr. Magoo?


96 posted on 05/13/2018 9:07:22 PM PDT by gigster (Cogito, Ergo, Ronaldus Magnus Conservatus)
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To: Retain Mike
contemporaneous thread for research

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3561885/posts?page=1#1

97 posted on 05/14/2018 12:42:28 AM PDT by higgmeister ( In the Shadow of The Big Chicken)
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To: PAR35

What is the solution?
A heavy handed purge of the top ranks of the military.


I am not disagreeing with you. But the echo from history resonates in my ears.

When you hear “heavy handed purge of the top ranks of military”, where do you go in history?

Our country was designed to be inefficient, so that ideas grew slowly with much debate. So many checks and balances it was difficult to get things done. It took almost 40 years for the first immigration act (1870’s I think) to be finally implemented.

Having written the above, I think I have more respect for Trump to work thru the system for change. Obama took shortcuts and luckily I think he pulled their trigger too soon.


98 posted on 05/14/2018 6:26:14 AM PDT by PeterPrinciple (Thinking Caps are no longer being issued but there must be a warehouse full of them somewhere.)
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To: Forgotten Amendments

I flew in the Navy. Our bible, NATOPS, imposed sleep time for us after each flight. Why not the surface Navy?


99 posted on 05/14/2018 7:30:23 AM PDT by pabianice (LINE)
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To: PeterPrinciple
When you hear “heavy handed purge of the top ranks of military”, where do you go in history?

Stalin. He probably couldn't have won World War II with the generals he purged in 1938.

Although one should also look at George Marshall's purge of officers in 1939. Again, the results would likely have been much worse without the purge.

100 posted on 05/14/2018 7:26:46 PM PDT by PAR35
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