USS Halsey Ex-CO fires back (fired CO blames crew)

Navy Times | 10/31/07

[pabianice]

Cannot post due to Navy Times copyright whining. Click on link.

[in hoc signo vinces]

Hey...when one is the Captian, everything is your fault...

If this CO forgot that little rule...than it is good he was relieved.

[Vaquero]

: Now there's no need for that I know exactly what he’ll tell you. Lies! He was no different than any officer in the wardroom -- they were all disloyal, I tried to run the ship properly by the book but they fought me at every turn. If the crew wanted to walk around with their shirttails hanging out that's all right let them take the tow line. Defective equipment no more no less, but they encouraged the crew to go around scoffing at me and spreading wild rumors about steaming and circles. And then old yellow stain. I was to blame for Lt. Merrick's incompetence and poor seamanship. Lt. Merrick was the perfect officer but not Captain Queeg. Ah, but the strawberries! That's where I had them. They laughed at me and made jokes, but I proved beyond the shadow of a doubt, and with geometric logic, that a duplicate key to the wardroom icebox did exist! And I'd have produced that key if they hadn't pulled Caine out of action! I-I-I know now they were only trying to protect some fellow officer and!......(realizes he has been ranting, babbling) Naturally, I can only cover these things from memory if I've left anything out, why, just ask me specific questions and I'll be glad to answer them...one-by-one...

[Mr. Jeeves]

Sounds like the Peter Principle in action...

[null and void]

The strawberries, that's where I had them...

[spunkets]

"“I never go to the scene of a casualty,” he explained."

There you have it. Plus, there's that drinking he was comfortable with.

[sit-rep]

We did this a time or two, but NEVER did on duty personnel participate. If, the CO did allow for on duty personnel to drink, he deserves every bit of responsibilty.

[null and void]

You win...

[SJSAMPLE]

Ouch.

[darkwing104]

I would say many careers were damaged on that ship...

[SJSAMPLE]

The drinking sounds insane, but letting sailors and their immediate supervisors handle the situation (although poorly) sounds solid.

I’ve commanded an artillery battery and I never ran over to every problem. But, fire aboard a ship sounds like the absolutely worst thing, so at least coming out of his cabin to speak with his Chiefs would have been warranted.

Sounds like he lost the confidence of his crew, which is worse than losing the confidence of his superiors.

[Rb ver. 2.0]

I urge everyone to read the article. If the events happened as described, the Capt. needs to back to painting the deck rank.

[Rb ver. 2.0]

Edit: Capt.=Cmdr

[AnAmericanMother]

Navy Times ain't the only one whining here.

Sounds like he was promoted to his level of incompetence.

[johnny7]

[LadyNavyVet]

You were right the first time. The Commanding Officer of a ship is always called Captain, regardless of rank. He’s back to being called Commander, now, though, although probably not for long. My guess is he’ll retire.

If the article is correct, this was a huge failure of leadership on his part. Many times a CO is relieved because something bad happens over which he had no direct control. Such are the risks of command at sea. But it looks like this guy blew it, pure and simple.

[edcoil]

Only thing missing is what racist’s the navy is and the institutional racism that was against him. Paging sharpton.

[in hoc signo vinces]

A picture post of Isaac the bartendar from the love boat would have been equally appropriate for this story.

[Jonah Hex]

Every boat I’ve been on, either the CO or XO responded to a casualty (especially back aft) unless the tactical situation dictated otherwise. From the article, it sounds like the Admiral made a good call.

[Pilsner]

Reminds me of the female BG who was responsible for Abu Graib (SP?) prison. She whined that her dismissal was unfair, because she had no control over what the people in her command did, and shouldn't be held responsible if those folks misbehaved. It never seemed to have occurred to her, or her champions in the drive by media, that not having control over what the people in her command did was reason enough to relieve her.

Same here. This "casualty" incident the CO didn't personally go to the scene of wasn't an E2 getting his finger mashed in a hatchway, it was a fire for God's sake. Failing to go the scene of the fire make damn sure it was extinguished properly is reason enough to relieve him.