Posted on 04/30/2019 11:51:06 AM PDT by robowombat
Correction: Captain “Benson,” not “Bryson.”
When I had command, I had the guts to call them as I saw them and stood by my decisions. I inspected, I monitored training, I submitted my Combat Readiness reports accurately and I didn't lose anyone.
I didn't have to call any of my men's parents and tell them that they had lost them forever.
Exactly. Attempting to defer blame for a collision at sea that was the USN fault is unforgivable. He should be dismissed if he hasn’t been already. He refuses to accept any responsibility whatsoever.
Well maybe. The rebuttal seemed to reference this guy named Risk and a lot of his relatives. Clearly no one in the Navy is responsible for this mess. I hope congress soon holds a closed door hearing to appoint a committee to investigate the infiltration of (nmn) Risk into maritime operations and our elections. Findings should be promptly referred to a very special counsel to probe precisely just what the Heck here goins on.
The Fitzgerald had lacked a qualified senior quartermaster for TWO YEARS. When Benson arrived as XO, the senior quartermaster was a reservist who had never completed an operational deployment.
There is plenty of blame to go around.
where is Gordon Lightfoot
when we need him?
Yikes! Doomed from the getgo. Just exactly what genius planned that estrogen laced roster? Good day it was over at the time that watch was set.
What the H is DOD thinkin?
Still resting at the bottom of the big lake I fear.
There’s always a touch of luck in a successful command, and a touch of bad luck in an unsuccessful command.
That’s just the way it works.
My first commander told me,
“Command is just a license to go to jail.”
It can seem that way.
Your question is multifaceted. I took read the full report by the same publisher. Twice. The captain has accepted responsibility as he should. The difference here is criminal culpability. I hadn’t heard of that before. Where were the charges against the Stark CO whose ship was not prepared to defend against Saddams Exocets. Where were the criminal charges against the CO of the Cole whose deck force weren’t empowered to open fire on the speed boat?
I am not defending everything that happened on that ship that night but since I wasn’t there nor do I know any investigators personally so I will read and research but I will not second guess the crew that was there for one primary reason. I have been through it myself, fortunately nobody died, but the resultant investigation was pretty “blame seeking” versus truth seeking.
How often were youcommanding a ship, and refused to carry out an ordered movement?
If the Navy can't find good skippers by playing soft and nice, stop being soft and nice. People's lives and our country is at stake. If females and transfats or whatever are put in positions of responsibility hold everyone to the same standards. Do your job or pay the price. Zero tolerance.
Sorry Bensen, you were the Captain and you blew it. He is responsible for the lives of the men under his command. It goes with the turf, as is the fleet commander and the Chief of Naval Operations.
“His gamble to maybe preserve his career instead of telling his superiors his ship and crew were not ready killed a bunch of young people for nothing.”
Yes, it seems so.
“How would you feel if one of those sailors who drowned in their compartment was your son?”
Where in my post did I express approval of the captain’s actions?
I’m Navy myself, and have a son in the Marines. These events have perhaps a greater significance for someone like me. It is appalling that this should have happened.
As for incompetence in the Navy, just look at what the so called officers the Naval Academy, as well as West Point are turning out.
The standard is and always should be that a Commanding Officer is responsible for everything that goes right or goes wrong in his command.
The Captain went to sea with critical equipment faults (radars and navigation). He went to sea with too few critical personnel. He was asleep while his poorly-trained and apparently mentally deficient duty officers severely damaged a crucial missile defense ship, one of only a few available and killed several irreplaceable young men while they slept.
You don't think that he should be held criminally responsible?
I do.
“I’m not in favor of commanders refusing to execute missions because they don’t believe their people are as ready as they should be. It’s not a risk-free profession. “
The order was correctly given and executed.
Of note: How long do you have to ride with ding bat LtJG before you know she can’t drive?
No competent captain turns over a $2bil warship to somebody they haven’t seen operate it...several times and in all conditions. It’s a very complex system with hundreds of variables, not for the simple or inattentive.
And he knew those on watch that night were simple and inattentive. And he knew there were SOME on the ship who were qualified and competent. Those who take their job as serious as it is. They were not on watch that night.
Even if he and the XO were the only competent persons to man the bridge. they don’t call it “Port and Starboard” for nothing!
And that’s wholly the captain’s fault.
Even after a month.
See my post #36
“Where were the charges against the Stark CO whose ship was not prepared to defend against Saddams Exocets.”
The Stark relieved us on station in the Persian Gulf.
What really happened was that an OS reported to the TAO that an Iraqi jet was up looking for a target, and instead of taking appropriate action, the TAO replied, “We aren’t at war with Iraq.”
Any other story is cover-up.
So, was it a "straight line transit through unrestricted waters" or was it a transit at night through very heavily trafficked and restricted waters with poorly trained/nonfunctional officers on watch?
Did his ship get severely damaged and sailors who were his responsibility lose their lives?
I'd vote to convict.
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