7 Sub Sailors Charged With Hazing, Assault

Kitsap Sun ^ | 4/15/6 | Elaine Helm

[SmithL]

Bremerton -- Seven sailors from the submarine USS Columbus face special courts-martial in connection with alleged assaults and hazing of two fellow crew members.

One victim allegedly was attacked over a seven-month period ending in March, when he reported the incidents to Naval Base Kitsap security and to the Naval Criminal Investigative Service.

His five alleged assailants are charged with various offenses under the Uniform Code of Military Justice. The charges include assault, hazing and dereliction of duty, according to Lt. Herlinda Rojas, a Navy spokeswoman.

The five sailors range in rank from third to first class petty officer. A sixth sailor, a senior chief petty officer, allegedly failed to report the abuse, Rojas said.

All of the sailors involved are electronics technicians or machinists mates who shared a workspace at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton. Columbus, a fast-attack submarine based in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, has been at PSNS for maintenance since September 2004.

The names of the alleged perpetrators, details about the charges and possible penalties were not available Friday.

Three of the sailors are currently in pre-trial custody, in the brig at Bangor submarine base, Rojas said.

The original NCIS investigation focused on the first victim, a petty officer third class, Rojas said.

During that investigation, NCIS officers uncovered a separate alleged assault involving a second victim, she said. A seventh sailor, a petty officer third class, is charged in that case.

An official Navy instruction updated in July 2005 defines hazing as "any activity which is cruel, abusive, humiliating, oppressive, demeaning, or harmful."

The instruction also acknowledges hazing has been a part of Navy ceremonies, initiations and rites of passage in the past, but that it "is contrary to our core values of honor, courage and commitment."

[SmithL]

[SmithL]

Steely-eyed Killers of the Deep Active Ping

[RightOnline]

"The instruction also acknowledges hazing has been a part of Navy ceremonies, initiations and rites of passage in the past, but that it "is contrary to our core values of honor, courage and commitment.""

Yeah.....and there are always those who decide to take such "initiations" WAAAAAAY too far, then call the victims "pu**ies" if they complain. I have no stomach for such.

[GSlob]

How did Sir Winston Churchill define the mainstays of the Naval discipline? "Rum, lash and sodomy"?

[Bob]

Yeah.....and there are always those who decide to take such "initiations" WAAAAAAY too far...

Anything that goes on for seven months can hardly be considered any sort of "initiation". Sure, 'the new guy' is likely to catch some good-natured grief for his first day, possibly two, but at that point it ends.

[BluH2o]

Sure, 'the new guy' is likely to catch some good-natured grief for his first day, possibly two, but at that point it ends.

For surface sailor newbies 'mail buoy' watch was always a possibility. Not sure about submariners, they probably have an equivalent.

[isom35]

idea for a sam jackson movie: Snakes on a Sub

[berserker]

Royal Navy: "Rum, lash and sodomy"?

Well, as far as this being a suggestion, the U.S. Navy doesn't allow rum, the lash is not permitted by the UCMJ, and as for the latter, I'm sure you won't tell if they don't tell...

[BIGLOOK]

Snakes on a Sub

Already been done. "Fer de Lance"; Richard Jansen movie......actually not too bad.

[Doohickey]

*sigh* The sissification of the Navy continues...

[TC Rider]

Snakes on a sub!!!???

[ThreePuttinDude]

*sigh* The sissification of the Navy continues...


That can't be said to many times or loud enough.

[Pharmboy]

Rum, buggery and the lash...

[GSlob]

Now, see for yourself: the rum rations of the offenders would be distributed to the rest of the crew, but in a way of compensation they would get the double doses of the rest.

[battlegearboat]

Born in Davy Jones locker

Rocked in the cradle of the deep

Me hair is made of hemp

I'm hard I am I is I are

When I spits, I spits tar!

[Wristpin]

Anybody know what was involved here...Simple Crow tacking or something really bad? It's gotta be physical with the assualt charge.

[encm(ss)]

I'm sure glad I'm retired. I would probably have been arrested many times for hazing. Sub Qualification, Crossing the Equator. Crossing the Equator at the Meridian, Chief Petty Officer. Dang. I guess I had all the good times before PC and now we know we were so bad.

[gaijin]

The report never details what the "perps" actually did.

Wonder why?

Cuz if they wrote any of it down, it would sound completely stupid and inane and unworthy of administrative consideration. There would be no cases of physical striking, or kicking, or whatever.

Just "hurt feelings" and gay $hit like that.

[SmithL]

Follow-up Active Ping.

I managed to endure getting my crow and dolphins tacked-on, as well as initiation, but rumors are that there was MUCH more involved here. I refer you to The Stupid Shall Be Punished, especially the comments.

With what we know so far, I'm not ready to call this political correctness run amok or a keelhaulable offense. I want more information.

[Doohickey]

Thanks for the link. Wonder what was going on back there in Nuke land?

[Wristpin]

During the 90's there were a couple of ALNAVS that came down about Hazing....Sounds like these guys had something way out of line going on.

[dread78645]

Wonder what was going on back there in Nuke land?

T_avg obviously not in the green band.

[Sailorman]

Then there was the " go to the bridge and get me the main engine keys and some relative bearing grease" requests. That was the surface navy as well but could have been the sub-surface guys too.
Sailorman

[Doohickey]

Go down and (get me)...
"A Torpedoman's punch"
"A roll of gig line"
"Feed the shaft seals"
"Blow the EOOW"
"Bulkhead remover"
"Deck straightener"

The list goes on...

[tryon1ja]

For surface sailor newbies 'mail buoy' watch was always a possibility. Not sure about submariners, they probably have an equivalent.

When I was a surface craft sailor before becoming a submariner I remember, besides the mail buoy watch, there was the sea bat in a box. Where you bent over to see the bat and got the bat on your behind. Happened to me when I was mess cooking. Everybody on the surface ships, waiting for A school, gets to mess cook.

[tryon1ja]

Well, as far as this being a suggestion, the U.S. Navy doesn't allow rum, the lash is not permitted by the UCMJ, and as for the latter, I'm sure you won't tell if they don't tell.

I beg your pardon, I remember well a time when the skipper ordered the Hospital Corpsmen to issue each sailor aboard a ration of rum and ordered the quartermaster to so enter in the log that because of the condition of the weather and the condition of the crew he so ordered the drink. (We had just gotten underway from a visit to Jamaica. The old man was feeling no pain and he said he didn't want to sail with sailors who still had some pain, especially the duty section who had not been ashore.)

Those were the best of times that one never forgets in a life time. It was almost 40 years ago on the USS Barracuda out of Key West.

[antisocial]

Thanks for the ping. Looks like these guys might be in trouble.

[HipShot]

Thanks for the ping.

No more bluenose or shellback.

No more tradition, no more goals to achieve or accomplishments to be proud of.

[BykrBayb]

Hmm. Just hmmm... I want more info too.

[BluH2o]

I would probably have been arrested many times for hazing. Sub Qualification, Crossing the Equator. Crossing the Equator at the Meridian ...

How about the Royal Order of the Bluenose for crossing the Arctic Circle? Did that back in June 1965 (off Norway) ... still have the certificate.

[esryle]

Alleged Hazing Detailed in Charging Documents
**************************************************
http://blogs.kitsapsun.com/kitsap/military

One sailor had his clothes set on fire — apparently while he was wearing them — and was hit in the head with a wrench. Loaded guns were pointed at he and another sailor several times. Seven sailors from the submarine USS Columbus are accused of these and other crimes, according to Navy documents obtained by the Kitsap Sun. Columbus, a fast-attack submarine based in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, has been at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard for maintenance since September 2004. The sailors involved shared a workspace in the shipyard. The seven sailors face special courts martial on multiple charges filed Friday under the Uniform Code of Military Justice. Three are in pre-trial custody at the Bangor submarine base brig, according to Lt. Herlinda Rojas, a Navy spokeswoman. The dates of their hearings and possible penalties were not available Saturday. Naval Criminal Investigative Service began looking into allegations of hazing on the submarine after the primary victim made a report in March to Naval Base Kitsap security. He told investigators that he had been hazed and assaulted during a 14-month period that began in January 2005. During the investigation, NCIS officers learned of a second alleged assault victim. Both victims’ names are blacked out in public records obtained by the Kitsap Sun. The primary victim, an electronics technician, is a petty officer third class. The second victim, a machinist’s mate, is a petty officer first class. Six sailors face charges in connection with the primary victim, including one senior chief petty officer. Five less-senior enlisted men are accused of actually carrying out the alleged hazing and assault. They are: * Senior Chief Petty Officer Sean Howe, a 33-year-old electronics technician, is charged with allowing hazing to occur in violation of a Navy-wide order and allowing maltreatment of someone under his command. * Petty Officer 1st Class Eleazar Garza, Jr., 24, is charged with hazing, conspiracy to haze, dereliction of duties, maltreatment of someone under his command and aggravated assault. Garza is alleged to have hit the victim in the head with a wrench several times; thrown tuna cans, hard hats, writing utensils and tools at the victim; poured isopropyl alcohol on the victim’s clothing and set fire to it; and struck the victim in the groin with his hand. * Petty Officer 1st Class Alvin Franklin, 25, faces similar charges. He also is accused of pouring the alcohol on the victim’s clothing and setting fire to it. He allegedly struck the victim in the face and body with his hand and threatened to kill him if he reported the abuse to anyone. * Petty Officer 2nd Class Jacob Kidder, 23, and Petty Officer 2nd Class Brian Bruce, 22, are accused of conspiring with Garza and Franklin to set fire to the victim’s clothes and face similar charges. All four are electronics technicians. Kidder allegedly poured alcohol on the victim’s clothes and set fire to them, put the victim in a headlock, held his hands behind his back and hit him in the groin with his hand. The fourth accused conspirator, Bruce, allegedly hit the victim in the face and groin with his hand. * Petty Officer 1st Class Charles Isham, a 27-year-old machinist’s mate, is charged with dereliction of duties, aggravated assault and communicating a threat. Isham is accused of pointing a loaded gun at the victim multiple times and threatening to shoot him if he didn’t show Isham a specific photo. In the case of the second victim, only one sailor faces charges. Petty Officer 3rd Class Joseph Tibbs, 21, allegedly pointed a loaded gun at the victim multiple times between October 2005 and December 2005. Tibbs lied to an investigator about the incidents, according to Navy documents. He said he had pointed a toy gun at the victim during sentry duty as a joke. Tibbs also is accused of faking evidence by giving the investigator a toy gun he supposedly used. An official Navy instruction created in October 1997 and updated in July 2005 defines hazing “any activity which is cruel, abusive, humiliating, oppressive, demeaning or harmful.” It acknowledges that while hazing was an accepted part of Navy culture in the past, it is now “contrary to our core values of honor, courage and commitment.” http://blogs.kitsapsun.com/kitsap/military/archive/2006/04/alleged_hazing_detailed_in_cha.html#more

_____________________________________________________________________________
www.TheSubReport.com

[Denver Ditdat]

The list goes on...

From the Airedale Navy:

A can of relative bearing grease
Ten yards of flight line
A bucket of prop wash
A padeye wrench
A fallopian tube (for a radar transmitter)
A pair of sky hooks
A left-handed socket wrench

[Laz711]

Nukes with guns............

I found out, not too long ago, pretty much after I left the 711, that the nukes were going to get guns for in port watches. It looks like the MM's were probably the roving watch with a gun, which is being implemented throughout the fleet. It is a bad, bad idea to give nukes guns (I was one), some of them are not stable enough to handle a weapon in the ER.

[EricT.]

All of the sailors involved are electronics technicians or machinists mates who shared a workspace at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton.

With the mix of MM's and ET's, it sounds like R4-67H, Submarine Mast and Antenna Repair. A larger group of derelicts one would be hard pressed to find in the Navy. I know from first hand experience. I guess all the fun spilled over on someone without a sense of humor.

[7thson]

Well, if it went on for seven months, it sure wasn't Crow tacking.

[EricT.]

Cuz if they wrote any of it down, it would sound completely stupid and inane and unworthy of administrative consideration. There would be no cases of physical striking, or kicking, or whatever.

We used lots of EB Green tape, oversized zip-ties, safety harnesses, and silicone grease. The "victim's" first clue that something was up was everybody looking at him funny...(and NO, this was not some kind of kinky gay thing, just some good-natured wrestling Navy style.)

[Retired COB]

Dang. I guess I had all the good times before PC and now we know we were so bad.

After reading further down, it doesn't look like these guys were complaining about the crewmember not appealing to their feminine side. In general I like to remember the days when we were expected to work hard and play hard with no political correctness allowed. By the way, have they put WAVES on the boats yet?

As a side note, it's been a while since I've seen a submarine engineman master chief. I've got to admit I've been out a while...they decommissioned the last diesel boat (The USS Blueback) the day after I retired.

[7thson]

We convinced one Billy Bootcamp to put in for special liberty - while we were underway. The SCPO just looked at him as if he was some strange new bug species.

[encm(ss)]

The Blueback was my last diesel boat. I retired in 1981 and was the Diesel Inspector for Submarine Squadron 1 and MCPOC in Pearl Harbor. I was also the DI for Squadron 7 for a year when they didn't have one. Busy! I recall Commander Kelso at Sq. 7 later became the 4 star Admiral of the Navy and was forced to retire because of the hazing incident of women officers at a hotel party. Cammander Kelso was a very good officer and I was sad he was forced out due to other people's actions.

[Wristpin]

Yep just read the story...criminal behavior for sure.

[chasio649]

Yep....Hazing is motivation and keeps cocky smart asses in line....if you haven't been on a sub..you just don't understand....i was hazed and it motivated me....oh the stories i could tell...it's also a way of weeding out wusses and no load incompetents...but i'm sure there are many on FR that just don't get it.....it builds comraderie and keeps the dink nubs in their place! :)

[chasio649]

I was on a boat with a guy that was on the Bonefish when the battery compartment caught fire...he slept in his poopy suit and tennis shoes...he swore he would never end up floating around in his underwear again...it shook him up quite a bit.

[chasio649]

Prussian blue in certain areas takes a while to rub off! ;)

[chasio649]

Ink for the bottom sounder....i guess you had to be there ;)

[chasio649]

Serial number off of a water slug.....

[Old Seadog]

Dont forget having the new "boot" stand a mail buoy watch.

[napscoordinator]

One sailor had his clothes set on fire — apparently while he was wearing them — and was hit in the head with a wrench. Loaded guns were pointed at he and another sailor several times. Seven sailors from the submarine USS Columbus are accused of these and other crimes, according to Navy documents obtained by the Kitsap Sun. Columbus, a fast-attack submarine based in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, has been at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard for maintenance since September 2004.

Does this really sound like the sissification of the Navy? I am still in and it doesn't to me. This just sounds like some stupidity to me. I went through many "initiations" and never was hit over the head with a wrench or had a gun pointed at me. You know this cannot go on.

[ScubieNuc]

"it's also a way of weeding out wusses and no load incompetents...but i'm sure there are many on FR that just don't get it.....it builds comraderie and keeps the dink nubs in their place! "

I know exactly of which you speak! However, if you don't have responsible first classes or chiefs to control the "initiation" then you have criminal actions.

I saw both effective "initiations" and cruel hazing. One, got dangerous sailors to quit when proper channels didn't work. The other, tormented a person just because a certain chief didn't like him.

I don't have the answer to what is best. If the Navy goes all out to stop all initiations, then they will either go underground and get more deadly, and/or a certain esprit de corps will be lost. If they do nothing then the initiations will get more bizarre and mob rule by fear could result.

I personally think that the captains on the boats should sanction certain initiations and sit in on them. Of course, it will probably be a cold day in H377 when that happens.

Sincerely

[EricT.]

Does this really sound like the sissification of the Navy? I am still in and it doesn't to me.

After reading the actual details of the story, it's not hazing. It's genuine cruelty and assault. The Marines don't even put up with that kind of Bravo Sierra. I hope they fry these thugs.

[B-Chan]

I agree. There is hazing and there's nuts. I served in MDIV on the ENTERPRISE and, while we had hazing, it never got to the point where anybody was in serious physical danger. ("Greasing" killed a guy in M Division just before I got there so it was banned per the CNO. If they caught you greasing a guy it was instant court-martial and BCD time -- no mast required.)

I had my crow tacked on in the usual way, and, yeah, it stung a little, but I guarantee you that anybody pointing a gun at me or setting me on fire back on the Prize would have found his next sponson watch a very short and damp experience. "Gee, he must have fallen overboard while asleep". There are a million easy and untraceable ways to rid the world of a psycho while underway in the south Pacific...

A little good-natured pain and humiliation is fine, but as far as I'm concerned, any form of hazing that puts the hazee in danger of life or serious injury is attempted murder, and should be treated as such.