Posted on 04/25/2011 11:17:22 AM PDT by rawhide
Commander Etta Jones, officer in charge of the Norfolk, Virginia-based Ponce, was sacked for not properly investigating sailors involved in the humiliating rituals, the Navy said.
Commander Jones also failed to properly handle a 9mm handgun during a security alert, which endangered some of her crew, the Navy said.
Lieutenant Commander Kurt Boenisch, the ship's executive officer, was also sacked, after he failed to provide support to the command and commanding officer, according to the Navy.
The sackings come as the the amphibious transport dock Ponce - pronounced 'ponsay' - is deployed in the Mediterranean, after recently taking part in a mission in Libya.
As he removed the two officers from their posts, Vice Admiral Harry Harris said: 'When leadership fails in setting a proper example or upholding proper standards on his or her ship, they fail to serve our sailors, our Navy and, ultimately, our nation.'
Captain Brad Skillman, deputy commander of Amphibious Squadron 4, has taken command of the Ponce, which is due home in about two months to be decommissioned.
Commander Jones is the eighth U.S. Navy commanding officer relieved so far this year, according to navytimes.com
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
What dogs are on a boat?
“Back in the late 70s and 80’s when I was in, there was truly humiliating initiations on my ship that just doesn’t belong in any mans Navy. “
You were on some kind of messed up bucket.
I was on two different ships from 77-81. I even went through an equator crossing, and never saw anything like what you speak of. I don’t doubt it happened, but I’m telling you it wasn’t everywhere.
“Commander Jones also failed to properly handle a 9mm handgun during a security alert, which endangered some of her crew, the Navy said.”
But the Navy saw fit to give her a ship? What’s wrong with this picture?
I’ve got those Yellowstain Blues
Those silly Yellowstain Blues
When someone fires a shot
It’s always there I am not
I’ve got those Yellowstain Blues
The old Yellowstain Blues
those yellowstain blues.
The Navy is DESPERATELY trying to get rid of that “A girl in every port” and “the Sailor always drunk in port” tags. They are desperately trying to make the Navy into a business and as professional as possible. The cost is that they will not allow for any perception of errors amongst the Sailors. There is so much going on that if something is not done, they Navy will fall apart. First, nobody is safe from a career. They are getting rid of people by the droves. In June they are having a board to get rid of Sailors between the years of 8-15 years. If they have even a minor smudge they are gone. If they don’t have perfect evaluations, they are gone. Now right now the Navy’s manpower and billets (jobs) are a mess. Some ships are requiring a Chief (E-7) to run two and three divisions because there is not enough Chiefs to go around. However, the big Navy is saying we are too big and will even get rid of more. Second, there is ZERO fun in the Navy. It is horrible. No morale boosting events. We used to have a picnic after our Physical Fitness Test which was always fun. Even on ships when they pull into port there is zero fun. That is going to be a problem in the future once the economy comes back and with the generous GI Bill, the way they are treating folks, the manpower, the Navy will be in trouble BIG TIME. I will watch the disaster with sadness, but really wish it wouldn’t happen but I see it as inevitable.
The dog story was from Bahrain and not the ship.....they were just reviewing different stories that has happened in the Navy over the past year.
Perhaps. But there are also cases of commanders being left in their positions in the Army who have no business leading Soldiers into combat. See the recent 5th Stryker BDE insanity for details.
While this could be P.C. police garbage (i.e. that carrier XO who was relieved for that dumb video), it could also be that some folks, when they’re out in the middle of the ocean believe they are gods unto themselves and the Navy strongly disagrees.
There's no way Laz would hit that.
Perhaps attached with a broom handle??
“I was on two different ships from 77-81. I even went through an equator crossing”
It had nothing to do with an equator crossing. Just newbies coming into G2 Hanger Deck Ordnance. (I was G2 flight deck) The Hanger Deck Weapons group was a bunch of messed up losers - which is why they were never selected to work flight deck. These ordeals were done behind locked doors, not in public like equator crossings.
I suppose a gay dog takes special handling...
Yeah, I am very curious as to what constitutes “failing to properly handle a pistol”.
The Navy has been cracking down on fun for a while. Certainly when I left Japan in ‘04 the “intrusive leadership” BS from COMNAVFORJAPAN and SEVENTHFLT was already over the line and that stuff was making its way to CONUS. There was an excellent article in the USNI Proceedings a few years ago on the subject and what a morale breaker it was for both junior and senior personnel.
As far as personnel boards, an ENC buddy of mine put in to retire when he hit 20 and was denied because they said they needed his NEC (he is a diesel inspector). Then the continuation board (or whatever they are called) came in and said he has to go. Crazy.
According to FR, anytime a military officer is fired it must be because it’s somehow connect to DADT and their inability to support the repeal.
Navy Establishes Training for Skippers Being Relieved
By Davy Jones - Staff writer
Posted: Friday May 13, 2011 11:18:23 EDT
Pensacola, Florida – The Navy command charged with setting training standards for everything from teaching sailors how to fold their underwear in basic training to battle operations on the Navy’s most sophisticated ships today announced a new training tactic designed to prepare commanding officers for being relieved of command. The six week course of study, officially called the Despicable career-Ending Event Preparation, or DEEP 6, will prepare commanding officers on how to salvage a shred of respect when the all-too-frequent career-ending event happens during their tour as a CO. Rear Admiral (LH) Tom Cat, Deputy Commander, Naval Education and Training Command indicated that this new training is designed to prepare commanding officers for the inevitable. “In today’s high-profile, politically correct Navy where every sailor has access to mass media, it’s more a matter of “when” a CO will be relieved, not “if.”” Cat said. The DEEP 6 course of study will be offered at major installations throughout the Navy and will be honed for the various command communities such as surface, subsurface, aviation, and the various commands ashore. Commanding Officers interested in attending DEEP 6 should contact their Type Commander as well as their detailer for scheduling the assignment of a prospective relief. The Navy Personnel Command asks that the request be submitted in advance of the career-ending event if at all possible. Additionally, they ask that terminal leave paperwork accompany the request.
It's amazing how many ribbons navy personnel have. With the exception of aviators, SEALs and corpsmen (corpse men to Obama supporters), the Navy hasn't seen much action since WWII.
But you’re gonna have an NCAA basketball game on a carrier...that’s something..
I’m learning more and more to discount the reactions of FReepers on almost any topic. >80% are reactionary fools, it seems.
Where’s the wire-brush so I can scrub that image from my mind.
>>> I’ll take bull-dyke for $100 Alex
Several years ago I attended a funeral at Arlington. One of the other mourners was a rough looking longshoreman type, almost scarey looking. Had I passed him on the street I’d have given him room. But at the funeral seeing him in his Navy whites with the rows of ribbons and the four stars he wore, I knew I was in the company of an impressive gentleman. It was a good reminder on not judging by appearances.
>>> Is it me or has there been a positive epidemic of skippers getting beached for cause in the past 3 years?
Were we to read such a list of cashiered officers in the Russian Navy we’d be calling it a slow-motion purge. By now the numbers of relieved ships captains, squadron leaders, and base commanders is approaching a hundred.
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