Navy fires another commanding officer, the 18th this year

Stras & Stripes ^ | September 7, 2011 | Matthew M. Burke

[GonzoGOP]

I don’t know what is the historical norm for ad captains getting pulled.

When you figure that the US Navy only has 286 warships in commission at the moment, that is over 6% of their captains that have been relieved for cause in a single year. One in 20 is way to high.

However this may not be some diabolical plot by Obama. You have to remember that due to fleet reduction the US Navy has more admirals that it does ships. So there aren't going to be any promotions for a while unless a slot opens up. When that happens you start to see a problem with the management structure. So they may just be taking the current overpopulation of senior officers as an opportunity to "Clean House". They are badly overstaffed in the top ranks due to the draw down of the fleet and anyone who messes up get relieved so someone else gets the slot.

[SoJoCo]

When you see this many captains on active duty getting pulled you know that there is a purge going on.

"In making the determination to discipline Olson, Holloway found that the skipper failed to follow established safety procedures during the exercise."

Removing a CO who almost shot up a civilian fishing boat out of carelessness is not a purge. It's removing someone who probably should not have been in command in the first place.

[tanknetter]

Respectfully, I really dislike that top painting. The cruiser represented at the top is NOT the USS Juneau, which was an Atlanta-class light anti-aircraft cruiser (so had three dual 5” turrets forward, rather than the two triple 8” turrets shown on the ship in the painting).

[GonzoGOP]

Removing a CO who almost shot up a civilian fishing boat out of carelessness is not a purge. It's removing someone who probably should not have been in command in the first place.

See my post 41. The USN currently has an excess of command grade officers. They might just be purging the screw ups. A purge, if done for the right reasons, isn't always a bad thing. Purges for political reasons are bad and usually screw up the service for years to come. Purging for performance based reasons can be a good thing, and improve the fleet in a Darwinian manner. Think SEAL training where 2/3 of the class gets purged out.

[Scoutmaster]

Thank you for your post on the Sullivan brothers. I'd get shivers down my spine and a tear in my eye if I saw U.S.S. The Sullivans.

I first learned about them as an insomniatic youth, watching The Fighting Sullivans (1944) on television in the middle of the night.

It's interesting for a war movie, in that almost all of the movie concentrates on the boys as they grow up together and become young men.

The deaths of the Sullivans partly inspired "Saving Private Ryan," and is the subject of the song "Sullivan" by the band Caroline's Spine. The band was offered a chance to play the song on the U.S.S. Enterprise in 1998.

Finally, there's a Sullivan Brothers Iowa Veterans Museum in Waterloo, Iowa.

[Axeslinger]

If you've never heard the acoustic version of "Sullivan", you're missing out....

"we regret to inform you that all your sons have passed away...all five, five, five...change your blue stars to gold"

[PLMerite]

“Surely the new emphasis on embracing the Sodomy will help though?”

It’s sure to make Captain’s Mast more interesting...

[Scoutmaster]

If you've never heard the acoustic version of "Sullivan", you're missing out..

Thanks. Is it on any of their albums?

I found this version as background on a student video project:

Acoustic Version in Video Project

[Axeslinger]

You Tube's blocked here at work, so I'll have to check that out later. But thanks in advance.

I don't think it's on any of their albums. The one I've got is from a radio interview where they played the song live in the studio.

I can't listen to that song without getting goosebumps.

[Dick Bachert]

I don’t know who created that tribute to these brave boys but I’m sure we all forgive him or her for that technical error.
Thanks for the information.

[mad_as_he$$]

Winner!

[Dick Bachert]

Thank you and, yes, I had those same shivers down my spine in Nassau that morning. I threw the boat a salute when she shoved off and a couple of the yuppies on deck with me looked at me a bit strangely and moved away.

[Bruce Campbells Chin]

Removing a CO who almost shot up a civilian fishing boat out of carelessness is not a purge. It's removing someone who probably should not have been in command in the first place.

He might have otherwise been a good CO, and this was just the result of a stupid mistake on someone else's part. Or, it might have been his own screw-up. But whatever the case, the Navy always has held its captains to a "buck stops here" standard, holding them accountable for end results even if the error was committed below them. Your ship accidentally shells a civilian ship, and you're going to be toast if that gets out.

[Dick Bachert]

Thank you for your comments and thank your guy for his service.

And, yes, the new Navy recruitment spots on TV speak volumes. Their tagline “The US Navy: A global force for good” makes me want to hurl.

I thought the job of the military was to go in, kick ass and bust enough of the enemy’s stuff to make them quit the fight then come home. Now we’re NATION BUILDING in places where they HATE US, have no idea what that means and we have to PAY THEM to HELP. And when we leave, they’ll just resume killing each other and destroying whatever we’ve left behind for them.

Sad indeed...

[Dick Bachert]

The frantic and vitriolic attacks from the other side tell me that we’re winning.

[A. Patriot]

I know ya’all been waiting for this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=InBXu-iY7cw

[MSF BU]

The Navy is still paying the price for Richard Danzig.

[GATOR NAVY]

He did TWO bad things here. First, he fired on a civilian ship. Second, he fired on a ship that he thought was the target and DIDN’T hit it.

Usually with a towed target the object is not to hit it, but offset an intentional amount. Targets cost money and they are meant to be used multiple times. The inexcusable eff-up was firing on the wrong target, not "missing" it.

[GATOR NAVY]

Respectfully, I really dislike that top painting. The cruiser represented at the top is NOT the USS Juneau, which was an Atlanta-class light anti-aircraft cruiser (so had three dual 5” turrets forward, rather than the two triple 8” turrets shown on the ship in the painting).

I hate to be picky but I noticed that too. Assuming that this is depicting the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal, the ship in the painting is USS SAN FRANCISCO (CA-38).

[VanShuyten]

Thank you for your clarification. Believe it or not, I’ve never actually been a commander on a ship. Nice to know the details!