Posted on 10/11/2017 7:18:19 AM PDT by mandaladon
On August 21, the guided missile destroyer USS John S. McCain was rammed by a Liberian-flagged supertanker, the Alnic MC. Ten sailor were killed in the collision. (See my posts on the collision here.)
Yesterday, the US Navy announced that is had relieved the commander and the executive officer of the USS John S. McCain and called the collision preventable:
The commanding officer, Cmdr. Alfredo J. Sanchez, and executive officer, Cmdr. Jessie L. Sanchez, of the guided-missile destroyer USS John S. McCain (DDG 56) were relieved of their duties by Vice Adm. Phil Sawyer, Commander, Seventh Fleet, on Oct. 11. Both were relieved due to a loss of confidence.
John S. McCain was involved in a collision with the merchant vessel Alnic MC Aug. 21 that claimed the lives of 10 Sailors, injured five more, and damaged both ships.
While the investigation is ongoing, it is evident the collision was preventable, the commanding officer exercised poor judgement, and the executive officer exercised poor leadership of the ship’s training program.
Interesting side note here. The senior chief petty officer aboard the USS Fitzgerald was relieved along with the commander, executive officer, and seemingly everyone on the bridge. That was an indicator that some major breach of individual training or discipline was determined to be widespread. The chief of the USS John S. McCain seems to have evaded the axe for the time being. As the same general fact pattern of the USS Fitzgerald was present, i.e. human lookouts not seeing a huge ship bearing down on them, the collision alarm not sounded until after the collision, etc., there is an interesting, if untold, story lurking here.
(Excerpt) Read more at redstate.com ...
Only the CO and XO. The senior chief mentioned is from the previous navy collision.
Obama’s Affirmative Action Navy
This was our newest super-duper ship with all the navigation bells and whistles that couldn’t detect an oil tanker. Pathetic.
Sanchez & Sanchez got deported from their positions - for incompetence ... Hmm ... Well, I guess they’re both now “undocumented” naval officers.
He is a rough and ready Navy war fighter!
errr, used to be.
Just the way it is.
She's a ship, not a boat, and her namesakes are very dead.
[[Why on earth would they name a boat after a living a$$hole?
You never know what the damn fool will do next.]]
He is a screw up and a disgrace but his father and grandfather were both Admirals , both were named John McCain.
The ship was named after both Admirals and not the Senator .
Find it difficult to believe, given our Navy’s optempo over the last 15 years, that the CO only had three deployments. Most Department Heads have more than that. Apparently the key to selection for command of a billion dollar warship is duty as an Admiral’s aide and a tour in the Puzzle Palace, not demonstrated competence at sea.
It was named after his father...
SGT Provo WANTED his name on the privy.
"Sanchez and Sanchez" has "obama social experiment" written all over it.
That would be the Command Master Chief. While there was no such billet when I was in, I believe it’s the most senior Master Chief on the ship.
That is the way it rolls and has been for decades.
A good friend of mine was selected to command a "boomer" but at the last minute the aide to some admiral high up at the Pentagon was given the boat.
FYI ..... the ship is named from Admiral John McCain who commanded Naval Aviation in the Pacific during WW II.
That included Marine Squadron 214 of Black Sheep fame.
Gotta give commands to the Anglos. Let the Mexicans drive the Chevvies.
It was named after his Father or Grandfather, both admirals, also named John McCain.
Named after McCain’s grandfather (who commanded Navy air assets in the Pacific during WWII), and his father, who was CINCPAC while Johnny was in the Hanoi Hilton.
McCain’s father and grandfather were honorable men who served the country faithfully and honorably. Can’t say the same about the Senator.
Yes that seems obvious.
Ten of your crew dead - some heads need to roll. They are lucky they are not facing Article 15 proceedings.
Sailors consider it bad luck to change the name of a ship one it is commissioned.
I want you to paint this name on the bow of your ship: Leper Colony. Because in it you're gonna get every deadbeat in the outfit. Every man with a penchant for head colds. If there's a lookout who can't hit his plate with his fork, you get him. If there's a navigator who can't find the men's room, you get him. Because you rate him.
Maybe the Navy needs a ship of misfits as a lesson to the rest of the fleet?
-PJ
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