So the Captain of the ship was a Commander. So too was the XO. How many other commanders, lieutenant commanders and lieutenants (O-3) were assigned to the ship? The news articles have made it sound as if there would have been only very junior people on the bridge and the only experienced resource to draw on would have been the captain. But I am wondering how many other career officers such as the lieutenant commanders would have been on the ship and if it would have been standard practice to have any of them on the bridge during the night (it would be great if Navy types could weigh in)
On ships of this type, the CO would be a CDR and the XO could be a CDR as well, but in the past could be a LCDR.
Could be different now...they might have a few more LCDR (O-4) than they did in the past.
The OOD that night was likely a LT, and may have had a LTjg, or an Ensign as JOOD. The rest of the bridge team that night would've been enlisted personnel, likely a couple of petty officers as maybe the Quartermaster of the Watch, and maybe the helmsman. The lookouts on the bridge wings and fantail were likely seamen.
Regardless of WHO was on the bridge, the OOD was in charge of the bridge team, and was qualified by that ship's Commanding Officer to be there. If there was any doubt in the CO's mind that OOD was NOT qualified to "drive the ship," that officer should not have been there alone.
As to the other "senior" officers, no one would've been required to be there. In fact, some senior officers like the Supply Officer, are NOT typically qualified to stand bridge watches like OOD. Air "Bosses," those officers in charge of the aircraft (on this ship, only a pair of helos), are also not usually qualified to stand bridge watches. The Chief Engineering Officer was likely qualified, but would've been mostly concerned with engineering spaces and their statuses.
The Commanding Officer likely posted standing orders to all bridge watchstanders that he was to be wakened immediately upon certain events. A close abroad situation was most certainly one of them. Was a messenger sent from the bridge to wake the Captain that night? If so, when? This would've been entered in a log book, and will be available to investigators.
The bridge team does not drive the ship alone, however. There is a surface watch team in the Combat Information Center as well. This team is headed by an officer, most likely a LT, who reports to the Combat Systems Officer of the Watch, likely a LT or Lt. Commander. These officers have Operations' Specialists (enlisted personnel), monitoring surface traffic. All of these people would've been relaying information to the bridge team, and any reports of close-in contacts would've been entered in their log book.
There should've been ample backup, including multiple mid-grade officers, giving information to the bridge. Perhaps with all the systems, all the backups, the OOD had information overload, or was just being human. Time will tell.