Posted on 11/09/2012 9:25:37 AM PST by RitchieAprile
Drunken behavior during a port visit has led to the dismissal of another Navy commander and three other top officers, days after the leader of the USS Stennis carrier group was sent back to Bremerton.
The Navy hasn't said much about why they've removed Rear Admiral Charles Gaouette from his command October 27. They are conducting an internal investigation involving his judgment.
The Navy is offering more explanation about the commander of the USS Vandegrift, which is a frigate based in San Diego that was built at the Todd Shipyards. This frigate was not with the Stennis carrier group.
Vandegrift Commander Joseph Darlak was relieved of duty one week ago due to "a loss of confidence after displaying poor leadership and failure to ensure the conduct of his officers" while visiting the Russian port of Vladivostok in September.
Translation, according to San Diego media reports - Darlak was part of a "rowdy, booze-fueled port visit."
The ship's executive officer, Commander Ivan Jimenez, was also removed from the ship along with the operations officer and chief engineer, "for personal conduct and use of alcohol."
A Navy release stated, "Inappropriate behavior and judgment in positions of authority are unacceptable."
That phrase "inappropriate judgment" was used to describe the Stennis Rear Admiral also.
A military analyst I talked with a week ago said the Navy is on track to fire a record number of commanders this year for bad behavior.
"The Navy this year has had a spike in firings of these kinds of officers. They've fired over a dozen so far with problems related to offenses about sexual misconduct, alcohol, or some other kind of personal misconduct," says Lyons.
Now 14 commanders have been relieved of duty, which essentially ends their careers.
By LINDA THOMAS
From yesterdays when we yet thought we were winning....
Brian was a great guy.
Hardly - Nimitz ran a ship aground and was reprimanded but it didn’t end his career the way it would today. Numerous others in leadership from the past including my own personal witness were party to rabble rousing, skirt chasing, heavy drinking, and plenty of pranks - all of which would cost careers today independent of rank - but they could fight a war. Halsey was known for his skirt chasing and drinking but he knew how to fight. So the standard has changed from the past as to what is acceptable before a career is killed .... the real question is what impact does killing those careers have on the fighting capability of the fleet. Not that there will be much of a fleet anyway once Obama is done...maybe that’s it they’re just gettin an early start on the RIF.
This is what happens when you try to go drink for drink with the Russians.
This is what happens when you try to go drink for drink with the Russians.
Curious that higher standards of deportment were not insisted upon given the port call was in Russia. It would seem to me that keeping a higher lever of awareness and alert would be especially important in the port of a rival power.
How many of the sailors have clearances, and how vulnerable is
what they know subject to disclosure under the influence of vodka and/or babes?
Never noticed any drinking during my two years of reserve active duty. Certainly no rowdy behavior in foreign ports.
roger - I stand corrected
Actually I have known many academy grads over the years, now retired, all of whom were the finest of men in every way.
Doug was an exceptional man. I have met his Father on several occasions here in New Mexico.
The guys that were shot down going to get Marcus Lutrell and his team were led by a SEAL Lieutenant Commander. He was that high school kid I had met when I was a Mid. Despite seeing pictures or him all grown up, I will always think of him as that kid.
This war is a just one, but we are constantly losing people because we won't fight to win. We don't have to lower ourselves to the level of the savages we are fighting. We have need to remember that it is better to be respected than to be liked by the people in those countries.
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