Skipper of submarine San Francisco relieved of command

Navy Times | 1/20/5 | William H. McMichael

[SmithL]

Commander Mooney has been reassigned.

[SmithL]

Can't excerpt from Navy Times. Read the story here:

http://www.navytimes.com/story.php?f=1-292925-609556.php

[ErnBatavia]

That's probably SOP...

[Severa]

PING

[SmithL]

One active ping.

We sure saw this coming

[SJSAMPLE]

Wasn't the undersea obstruction uncharted?

[dread78645]

Uncharted Bump.

[Red Badger]

If the mount was not on any of the charts, how can he be held responsible?........

[ozaukeemom]

ping

[thag]

It sounds like he should get a medal, not a new job.

[SmithL]

Yes, it was uncharted, and yes, that's SOP.

[dwilli]

I would be suprised if the USN would permit a skipper
under investigation to command a ship or boat
while it is being investigated.

[theDentist]

Captains are always ultimately responsible, even for those things beyond their control. His career is now finished, wrongly or not. Pity.

[shubi]

There is your way, my way and the Navy way.

As a former Navy officer, I knew he would be relieved.

Even if he is not negligent, would you want to be on a crew with a Captain that ran into something?

[Piquaboy]

Teddy Kennedy was not relieved of his command when he sunk the USS Submarine Oldsmobile.

[edcoil]

I served 5 years on a nuc sub from 1975 to 1980. It is SOP to change command after any "accident".

I was on the pier when a sub next to us was tired of waiting for the tugs to help it pull out so the skipper decided to get underway by himself and bump the sub next to him.

SUBGRUP 5 was on the tender above. He walked down and relieved the skipper right on the spot, the tugs came, tied the boat up and they had a change of command that day.

[llevrok]

Any facts / rumor how he hit a mountain - uncharted or not?
We play crazy Ivan in lots closer spaces so I am scratching my sub loving head on this one. (no. my 18 year old daughter was not at the helm)

[IGOTMINE]

The captain is always responsible. Period. Not always fair, but that is always the way it is.

[WildTurkey]

I served 5 years on a nuc sub from 1975 to 1980. It is SOP to change command after any "accident".

If that were true, my CO would have been relieved at least three times ...

[Red Badger]

In this case, yes. If in fact the mount was not charted, then the NAVY was negligent in not providing up to date maps. How many other un-charted mounts are there? Or NEW ones ala the tsumani earthquakes?...

[BIGLOOK]

Reassigned. The Captain's command is in dry dock and may be decommissioned. I suspect the inquiry will take at least 6 mos.

USS SF ping.