Posted on 02/12/2020 8:34:14 AM PST by RitchieAprile
The former commanding officer of the USS Montpelier pleaded guilty in December to charges stemming from an inappropriate relationship with the spouse of an enlisted subordinate, according to the Navy's report of trial results.
Cmdr. William B. Swanbeck, who was relieved of command of the fast-attack submarine in June 2018 due to "a loss of confidence in his ability to command," pleaded guilty at a special court martial to conduct unbecoming an officer and a gentleman as part of a pretrial agreement for engaging in the inappropriate relationship.
Swanbeck was sentenced on Dec. 4 to a reprimand and the forfeiture of $1,500 pay per month for 11 months, the trial results said. Since his relief, Swanbeck has served as a special assistant to the commanding officer of the naval base in Groton, Connecticut, according to his LinkedIn account.
Swanbeck "is still technically assigned to the Montpelier although he was removed from the submarine after he was relieved of command," Cmdr. Jodie Cornell, a spokeswoman for Navy Submarine Forces, told Task & Purpose on Monday. "He will remain temporarily assigned to the squadron until all administrative processes are complete."
At the time of his firing, Navy officials did not provide anything more than a "loss of confidence" as reason for the dismissal, although a spokeswoman confirmed to Navy Times he was under investigation for allegations of "personal misconduct."
A native of Huron, Ohio, Swanbeck is a Naval Academy graduate who commissioned in 1999. He served aboard a number of submarines throughout his career and assumed command of the Montpelier in April 2016. The sub, named for the city of Montpelier, Vermont, is crewed by 15 officers and 129 enlisted members, according to a Navy press release.
Swanbeck's awards and decorations include three meritorious service medals, three Navy and Marine Corps commendation medals, and two Navy and Marine Corps achievement medals, according to Navy records.
He gave the term officer and a gentleman a bad name causes the lower in rank to question leadership very bad actions on his part.
“Was that wrong? Shoud I have not done that?”
“Are we talking “wife” in the Buttigig sense?”
I think Big Media would have used “husband” if so.
Exactly. This is the "new" US Navy.
The article doesn't say anything about a wife, only a spouse. It could have been the spouse of a female or male enlisted member who could have been "married" in either case to a member of the same or opposite sex. Or for that matter, the spouse could be "non-binary" or whatever?
The US Navy is a reflection of the culture rot permeating America and the world.
I am not naive, and not immune the the siren call of beauty or easy access to something that throws itself at you, but... as an officer you know that there are plenty of other opportunities and you don't mess with the lives of the men under your command. It just makes a mess of things.
Imagine if it were discovered that Trump was having an affair with the wife of one of the DOJ attorneys trying to get him. He would have to pack up and move to Russia at that point. Some messes you don't make for yourself if you are half-way intelligent.
“Do NOT sh!t where you eat.”
So many bad jokes in there...
And during shore leave, wouldn't the enlisted man have been around his wife?
What am I missing here?
Even on a submarine you are in port somewhere about 1/2 the time.
If you are gonna screw around, please, don't take advantage of an enlisted man's wife.
Good grief!!!
+1
5.56mm
That was an expensive fling.
The lack of confidence is that he displayed his carefully hidden stupidity and poor judgement. Good to cull the herd.
If it floats, flucks or flies and you just can’t live without it; Rent It.
Thou shalt not dip thy pen into the company ink. Even if it is only a relation.
Blue Falcon MF!
I witnessed several times on dependents tours on Trident Subs, the captain showing attractively dressed spouses, one on one, alone walking around different parts of the sub. I thought it kind of odd. Why were the sailor husbands not with them? (There were no women serving aboard subs at the time). I’d see the captain smiling and some beautiful spouse of some sailor hanging on his every word. The temptation must be great for a man in such power. I don’t find this behavior out of the realm of impossibility. It’s so wrong, but it may happen more than we think. I’ve seen and heard of all kinds of ‘lewd’? Behavior aboard both Tridents and Fast attack submarines. They are a work hard and party harder group of service members comparable with the activities of some of the Navy Seals.
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