I heard an excellent interview about the whole incident Yesterday on Hewitt. Leadership is leadership, CHAIN OF COMMAND MUST BE FOLLOWED! They did Not degrade him. Said he was exceptional. BUT In this State of emergency and you send an e-mail out RANDOMLY??? To the newspaper? YOU WILL BE REPLACED! They cannot wait to see what kind of shit you will pull next. CAN’T HAPPEN!!
That is part of it. The greater sin is not taking the initiative to solve his own problems. He had enormous resources at his personal beck and call, and yet he did nothing except wail for guidance. He is CO of a massive ship with a lot of really great, knowledgeable, resourceful creative people. Anything that is needed to be made can be made on an aircraft carrier. Between is officers and senior enlisted he has a superb leadership team. He has the best mechanics and maintenance personnel on planet earth.
Before asking for help from someone else, he needed to help himself.
And I am not saying he should not have been asking for a list of items he needed, expertise he wanted to consult, some of those 5 minute testing kits, etc. He could have sent off a plane - well asked his immediate superior to send one off to go pick a couple up.
But he had no plan other than evacuate the ship.