UN Navy crew's mutiny against the 'Sea Witch' captain who ' belittled' them

Telegraph UK ^ | 3/14/10 | Nick Allen

[kittycatonline.com]

the first American to take charge of a US Navy cruiser.

the first American {woman?} to take charge of a US Navy cruiser.

[mountainlion]

An abusive captain does not equal mutiny. The writer is quite biased. I could only get through half the article.

[DemforBush]

“UN Navy crew’s mutiny...”

And apparently it was crewed by the UN.

They need to fire the proofreaders at this particular paper.

[Kenny Bunk]

The "word" is that she was also a lousy ship handler, and quite technically incompetent.

IMHO, that ought to be mentioned, along with her "personality" problems. It's possible they were a cover for her very poor seamanship. (I.E., if that's still a word ... if not try sealesbianship.)

[GAB-1955]

From what I've heard through people involved who have written about it, Captain Graf had a sewer mouth and no respect for her subordinates. She made a junior officer sit in the corner with a dunce cap at one time. She angered enough senior petty officers that THEY dropped a dime to the complaint line. If she were male, she would have been relieved of command. Captain Graf is unfit to command American sailors, who are not stupid peasants.

[Ken522]

... brilliant at seamanship ...

Nick Allen, you lie!

[GAB-1955]

“They need to fire the proofreaders at this particular paper.”

They might have already.

[kingu]

Wow, misleading article title, gross mistakes in the text - the Telegraph started hiring from The Sun?

[oneolcop]

"...last showing that the US Navy could produce female commanders as good as their male comrades."

Well, maybe not quite as good as most. She and the other "Captain Queeg" just didn't measure up, now, did they?

[DemforBush]

It’s not mentioned in this particular article, but Graf is supposed to have thrown coffee cups - the ceramic mug kind - at one or more junior officers. There is also the claim that she humiliated a Chief, a Master Chief, by putting him in “Time Out” in the middle of a control room for several hours.

[bgill]

OTOH, she could bery well have been promotes to that position for the sole purpose to prove women shouldn’t be captains of ships. They knew for years what she was like and rushed to give her a ship. Why her and why at that time?

[Secret Agent Man]

I read in a prior story about when a new officer relieved her from a prior ship, as soon as that officer said the word “relieved” the entire ship cheered.

Sorry but I don’t think it’s just a few people that have it in for her. AS the author would like us to believe. I read prior stories about her behavior towards lower officers and I believe her style of command, training and motivation revolved around fear, humiliation, and yelling expletives at people. That’s what she think passes for being a captain. To each their own, but combine it with a “I’m never wrong, people are out to get me” attitude and what happened to her is not an unexpected outcome.

[lacrew]

I don’t know about the navy; but, I’ve seen her type in the Army. They ‘crack up’ under mild pressure and blame subordinates.

Its partially an organizational problem, because this attitude comes from the top down. In the Army, the crack up comes at the O-3 level, company commander. It is at this level that responsibility is not matched by control over your subordinates (for example, your senior NCO’s are ‘rated’ by your boss, instead of yourself). Some people just could not handle the pressure.

However, many people did cope with it and were fine leaders, so I’m not excusing her actions at all.

[kalee]

“She was a role model, opening the Navy’s higher echelons to female officers, and helping to make up for a history of sexual and gender problems such as the Tailhook scandal in 1991 when aviators assaulted dozens of women.”

Some role model she proved to be.

[Secret Agent Man]

It hasn’t “just been her”. She is one of six ship commanders to be relieved in the last year. 5 are guys.

[driftdiver]

The investigation report was posted here last week. She repeatedly ‘disciplined’ her XO and other junior officers in front of the crew. Discipline and behavior correction included calling them f’n idiots.

[JimC214]

No superior officer weather they be male or female is allowed to physically hit a jr officer or enlisted person to get them to obey an order. They can throw you in the brig for disobeying an order, but if that superior officer hits an individual, that officer damn well better have a real good explanation.

[Bon mots]

Keelhaul her!

[SWAMPSNIPER]

Most men in positions of power realize that there are rules for dealing with subordinates, some thinga are instinctive "fighting words", likely to trigger rage in other men.

I've heard women say things that would trigger a physical fight if said by one man to another, expecting to be protected by their sex.

I just don't think that most women should be in positions of absolute command, it is contrary to human nature.