Posted on 02/24/2019 8:56:33 AM PST by Retain Mike
When Vice Adm. Joseph Aucoin was elevated to lead the vaunted 7th Fleet in 2015, he expected it to be the pinnacle of his nearly four-decade Navy career. But what he found with the 7th Fleet alarmed and angered him. The fleet was short of sailors, and those it had were often poorly trained and worked to exhaustion. Its warships were falling apart, and a bruising, ceaseless pace of operations meant there was little chance to get necessary repairs done. The very top of the Navy was consumed with buying new, more sophisticated ships, even as its sailors struggled to master and hold together those they had. The Pentagon, half a world away, was signing off on requests for ships to carry out more and more missions. The risks were obvious, and Aucoin repeatedly warned his superiors about them.
(Excerpt) Read more at features.propublica.org ...
Former USS Fitzgerald Officer Pleads Guilty to Negligence Charge for Role in Collision https://news.usni.org/2018/05/08/former-uss-fitzgerald-officer-pleads-guilty
Death and Valor on a Warship doomed by its Own Navywn Navy. https://features.propublica.org/navy-accidents/uss-fitzgerald-destroyer-crash-crystal/ Timeline: USS Fitzgerald Collision https://news.usni.org/2017/08/18/timeline-uss-fitzgerald-collision
Document: Investigation into the Deaths of 7 Sailors Aboard USS Fitzgerald https://news.usni.org/2017/08/17/document-investigation-deaths-7-sailors-aboard-uss-fitzgerald
Fitzgerald: There But for the Grace of God Go I https://www.usni.org/magazines/proceedings/2017-08/fitzgerald-there-grace-god-go-i
Timeline: USS Fitzgerald Collision https://news.usni.org/2017/08/18/timeline-uss-fitzgerald-collision?utm_source=USNI+News&utm_campaign=e303826fc8-USNI_NEWS_DAILY&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_0dd4a1450b-e303826fc8-230377553&mc_cid=e303826fc8&mc_eid=d1b7ba249a
Document: Command Investigation into USS Antietam Grounding https://news.usni.org/2017/08/25/document-command-investigation-uss-antietam-grounding?utm_source=USNI+News&utm_campaign=9a7839fc9c-USNI_NEWS_DAILY&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_0dd4a1450b-9a7839fc9c-230377553&mc_cid=9a7839fc9c&mc_eid=d1b7ba249a
Collisions: Part I—What Are the Root Causes? https://www.usni.org/magazines/proceedings/2017-08/collisions-part-i%E2%80%94what-are-root-causes
Collisions: Part II—Operational Pause https://www.usni.org/magazines/proceedings/2017-08/collisions-part-ii%E2%80%94operational-pause
Collisions: Part III—Maintenance https://www.usni.org/magazines/proceedings/2017-08/collisions-part-iii%E2%80%94maintenance
USS Fitzgerald, USS John S. McCain Collision Report https://news.usni.org/2017/11/01/uss-fitzgerald-uss-john-s-mccain-collision-report
Head of Naval Reactors Appointed to Oversee Additional Disciplinary Action for McCain, Fitzgerald Collisions https://news.usni.org/2017/11/01/head-naval-reactors-appointed-oversee-additional-disciplinary-action-mccain-fitzgerald-collisions
Readiness Lapses that Led to McCain, Fitzgerald Collisions Were Years in the Making https://news.usni.org/2017/11/01/readiness-lapses-that-led-to-mccain-fitzgerald-collisions-were-years-in-the-making
Investigation: USS Fitzgerald, USS John McCain ‘Avoidable’ Collisions Due to Lapses in Basic Seamanship https://news.usni.org/2017/11/01/investigation-uss-fitzgerald-uss-john-mccain-avoidable-collisions-due-lapses-basic-seamanship
Document: Navy Comprehensive Review of Surface Forces https://news.usni.org/2017/11/02/document-navy-comprehensive-review-surface-forces
More Punishments Issued for Fatal Western Pacific Destroyer Collisions; Dates Set for Initial D.C. Criminal Hearings https://news.usni.org/2018/02/01/punishments-issued-fatal-western-pacific-destroyer-collisions-dates-set-initial-d-c-criminal-hearings?utm_source=USNI+News&utm_campaign=c798f1da57-USNI_NEWS_DAILY&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_0dd4a1450b-c798f1da57-230377553&mc_cid=c798f1da57&mc_eid=d1b7ba249a
Former USS John S. McCain XO Found Guilty of Dereliction of Duty https://news.usni.org/2018/02/14/former-uss-john-s-mccain-xo-found-guilty-dereliction-duty-hearing?utm_source=USNI+News&utm_campaign=d90e8dd4fd-USNI_NEWS_DAILY&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_0dd4a1450b-d90e8dd4fd-230377553&mc_cid=d90e8dd4fd&mc_eid=d1b7ba249a
Singapore Safety Report on USS John S. McCain Aug. 21, 2017 Collision https://news.usni.org/2018/03/08/singapore-safety-report-uss-john-s-mccain-aug-21-2017-collision?utm_source=USNI+News&utm_campaign=3d90b38add-USNI_NEWS_DAILY&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_0dd4a1450b-3d90b38add-230377553&mc_cid=3d90b38add&mc_eid=d1b7ba249a
USS Fitzgerald Combat Team Unaware of Approaching Merchant Ship Until Seconds Before Fatal Collision https://news.usni.org/2018/05/10/uss-fitzgerald-combat-team-unaware-approaching-merchant-ship-seconds-fatal-collision?utm_source=USNI+News&utm_campaign=0a88656631- USNI_NEWS_DAILY&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_0dd4a1450b-0a88656631-230377553&mc_cid=0a88656631&mc_eid=d1b7ba249a U.S. Navy Comprehensive review of Recent Surface Force Accidents file:///C:/Users/Superman/AppData/Local/Microsoft/Windows/INetCache/Content.Outlook/0B0T9J7N/US%20Navy%20Comprehensive%20Review%20of%20Ship%20Accidents.pdf
Not the Navy I was in.
Nice post.
A damn shame. Sailors died because of this... neglect. And the increased ops tempo.
Thank you.
The authors somehow omit some other critical factors that occurred during Mabus' tenure: "gender integration" of the fleet into combatant ships and the legalizing openly gay service members.
These foci of the Obama/Mabus regime have caused massive disruption in both discipline and effectiveness of military units as some aspects of the USS Fitzgerald collision investigation disclose.
Instead of concentrating on operational training and effectiveness, the Obama administration emphasized the fiction people are interchangeable and that sex has no effect on morale or discipline.
Any experienced and responsible leader would know better: their mission was readiness and effectiveness, not goofy/perverse social ideas.
I don't give Bob Work a clean bill of health either - he was quite capable of going public with his doubts but he decided to keep his job instead of supporting the navy and his country.
The founders were correct to exclude the children of foreign nationals from being President.
Obama decimated the officer ranks of the US military.
Anyone who did not salute the transgenderizing of the military was run out.
One time long ago, I got my entire billet done away with because I wrote a letter to an admiral across the hall from me on the same ship.
My argument to him essentially was that I did not do a damn thing all day while my unit on base was grossly undermanned.
He granted my wish.
I think it inarguable that EVERYTHING in the Navy, as my story illustrates, is about politics. Politics of gender, race, homosexuality, white male privilege, command positions and so on. The last one, “command positions” is the hottest in my opinion. Women want/demand top command billets and “Women” politics are by far the most powerful. Higher ups (admirals, Captains) are literally shaking in their Skivvies. This report is an example of that. It seeks to CLOUD the issues concerning the Fitz and the McCain to protect women in command positions.
Since I first read about these collisions, I believed filling up these ships with women regardless of their training and experience was vital under Obama. I imagine that not until the court-martial proceedings began these little girls realized just how unqualified they were.
I am glad I left the Navy as a LTjg and spent my three and a half years just doing operations.
Being a Marine, I have served on board several of our parent org’s “cruise ships”. From my perspective, the NAVY demanding the latest and greatest at the cost of current equipment had been going on since at least the late 80’s.
That’s a nice looking site. Their tilt toward “everyboy’s a victim” get a little old. And I wonder if they ever found anything negative to say about the effect of Obama administration policies.
.……...I LOVE the US Navy, don’t get me wrong. And, I would not trade anything for my 7 years service. But, it is the purest “Political” organization on earth. Russia and China don’t have that problem. It’s “do what your told and don’t f up or it’s a firing squad for you pal”.
So, our Navy is supremely handi-capped from the get go and over burdened with the big four in US Politics: Race, Gender, homosexual issues (all of them) and now “white male privilege.
“I don’t give Bob Work a clean bill of health either.”
I think of those who become generals and admirals and put their lives on the line when they were junior officers, but are now unwilling to risk careers. At some point good people should stand up for principle and settle for stocking shelves at Safeway. I think I could have had a more lucrative career path if I had not refused to be a “team player” at times.
Me neither.
One of the few in this article to stand up was Admiral Tom Copeman, which isn’t surprising to me. He never forgot what he saw/learned during his O5 Command. True Sailor’s Sailor and got canned for telling the inconvenient truth.
The ‘manpower analysis’ section is a complete joke. They get awards and promotions for gutting warship manning while most have never spent a day at sea.
As my career submariner uncle would say: Just Gawhd Dayum!! Holy crap— how in the HELL did this happen.
During/after the USS Cole disgraceful “attack”, he kept saying: “They were in Qatar, selective refuel stop, vs Yemen or elsewhere— makes no difference. ALL Ports of Call have standard docking in port duties. Where the hell were the perimeter lines/floats, and where were the deck 50 cal or 20mm gun crews who should have been engaging these rubber boats, hundreds of yards from the ship!!?” He being a CMC was having a stroke over this extreme lapse in security. On the nukes dockside even on US soil— deck crews at every hatch with shotguns, Marine teams on the shore perimeter— layers of security.
Recently— someone posted on youtube the “drone” footage over Bellevue WA nuke base-— WHOSE drone was that? This cannot happen... not now and not again.
And, transiting the busiest approaches and port in the world by a US warship should NOT result in a collision... ever!
I remember years ago, but during the Obama administration, an article in Naval Institute Proceedings written by someone involved in recruiting classes for the Academy who was so excited that the incoming class reflected the ethnic makeup of the country. I wondered then about whatever happened to the idea that the Navy officer corps must be a meritocracy? I graduated with honors from college but was only average in my Officer Candidate School class.
The next logical step would be to require that incoming classes would have to be 50% female.
I remember years ago, but during the Obama administration, an article in Naval Institute Proceedings written by someone involved in recruiting classes for the Academy who was so excited that the incoming class reflected the ethnic makeup of the country. I wondered then about whatever happened to the idea that the Navy officer corps must be a meritocracy? I graduated with honors from college but was only average in my Officer Candidate School class.
The next logical step would be to require that incoming classes would have to be 50% female.
I remember years ago, but during the Obama administration, an article in Naval Institute Proceedings written by someone involved in recruiting classes for the Academy who was so excited that the incoming class reflected the ethnic makeup of the country. I wondered then about whatever happened to the idea that the Navy officer corps must be a meritocracy? I graduated with honors from college but was only average in my Officer Candidate School class.
The next logical step would be to require that incoming classes would have to be 50% female.
I’ve been saying for years that they have increased the tempo from when it was targeted for a 600 ship navy and the toll for wear and tear on sailors and equipment would eventually have to be paid.
I think we got up to 590 or something like that before the big draw downs started.
They’ve jettisoned training cycles, training commands, and maintenance cycles have been delayed and pushed.
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