Figures, he'd be involved in some way.
With any luck they will find that a duplicate key to the ward room icebox did exist.
“But is homicide of any sort (even negligent) an appropriate charge here?”
It appears that we don’t yet know what the officers were actually DOING, but if men died because of their negligence, I have no problem with the charges.
IMO - to treat these “accidents” with any less seriousness would only serve to compound the negligence.
On another site I read-—
“””As USS Fitzgerald approached the point of collision, Bridge and CIC watchstanders were poorly monitoring surface traffic and as a result were unaware of multiple contacts within ten miles of the ship. Shortly after 0100, a crossing situation developed between USS Fitzgerald and three large on-coming merchant vessels, all of which were transmitting on AIS. The merchant ships were traveling in close proximity to each other on similar courses with two overtaking the third. The OOD decided to maintain course and speed, predicting that USS Fitzgerald would cross 1500 yards ahead of what she recognized as a crossing vessel with the right of way, and began to prepare a contact report to inform the CO”””
This is on page 36 of this report-—
http://s3.amazonaws.com/CHINFO/Comprehensive+Review_Final.pdf
Is the reason for there being some obscurity is the fact the OOD on the Fitzgerald is a she?
McCain still killing US Servicemen
In 2003, SWOSDOC (Surface Warfare Officers Course) was shuttered, largely for financial reasons,,,,,,,,
officers went directly from commissioning sources to their ships with only a packet of computer disks........
Now it was incumbent on the ship’s CO to replace a year’s worth of intensive dawn-to-dusk training, in addition to his or her other considerable responsibilities
Bringing back the SWOSDOC would be a good start
If I was council for the defense, I would hang my hat on it.
The Navy it self was/is a major contributor to the accident
Unexpected? Absolutely not.