Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

The Hammer Falls On The USS John S. McCain Command Team
Red State ^ | 11 Oct 2017

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 ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: navy; trump; usnavy; ussjohnmccain
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-58 last

After watching the AIS replay over and over, there were other vessels in the immediate vicinity making “cowboy-up” moves (rule 6) that are of questionable international rules integrity. Especially in a very heavily populated traffic separation scheme (rule 10). Sometime an abundance of caution will get you in greater trouble than blending with the flow. Even if the flow is demonstrating poor seamanship. Bad place at the wrong time by happenstance, me thinks. I represent no organization or company in this personal opinion.


41 posted on 10/11/2017 8:58:33 AM PDT by USCG SimTech
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 38 | View Replies]

To: Gay State Conservative

Not necessarily. From a legal standpoint, the other ship may have been at fault. However, the Navy’s position is that the Captain should take any and all actions necessary to avoid a collision. If he didn’t, in the Navy’s view, then the Captain will be held accountable for the collision.


42 posted on 10/11/2017 9:04:00 AM PDT by Bull Snipe
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: Political Junkie Too

Brigadier General Frank Savage would be proud.


43 posted on 10/11/2017 9:06:20 AM PDT by Bull Snipe
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 40 | View Replies]

To: Mr. K

Named after his father (and grandfather?)


44 posted on 10/11/2017 9:15:07 AM PDT by TXnMA ("Allah": Satan's current alias | "Islamists": Satan's assassins | "Moderate Muslims": Useful idiots.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: mandaladon

“commanding officer, Cmdr. Alfredo J. Sanchez, and executive officer, Cmdr. Jessie L. Sanchez”

I am SHOCKED the politically correct Navy relieved TWO “minority” (hispanic) officers at the same time. . . .WOW. . .


45 posted on 10/11/2017 9:16:14 AM PDT by Hulka
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Mr. K

I think it after their grandfather, who by all accounts, was a crusty sailor but loved by his men, and who fell on his sword for Admiral Halsey.


46 posted on 10/11/2017 9:17:31 AM PDT by rlmorel (Liberals: American Liberty is the egg that requires breaking to make their Utopian omelette.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: VietVet876
"Chebbies"... '-)
47 posted on 10/11/2017 9:22:24 AM PDT by TXnMA ("Allah": Satan's current alias | "Islamists": Satan's assassins | "Moderate Muslims": Useful idiots.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 35 | View Replies]

To: mandaladon

Equal Opportunity Promotions?

The Chain of Command...

1. Hispanic- Puerto Rican

2. Hispanic -Puerto Rican

3. African American

Jesse Sanchez with a BS in Liberal Arts?


48 posted on 10/11/2017 9:30:35 AM PDT by Beautiful_Gracious_Skies ('45 will be the best ever)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: mandaladon; mad_as_he$$; rlmorel
No mention of the "aft steering failure"?

I can see the steering failure as preventable -- but, once it failed, was the collision (in those crowded conditions) preventable?

Too many as-yet-unanswered questions...

49 posted on 10/11/2017 9:31:02 AM PDT by TXnMA ("Allah": Satan's current alias | "Islamists": Satan's assassins | "Moderate Muslims": Useful idiots.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: mad_as_he$$

More Navy cover-up...


50 posted on 10/11/2017 9:31:27 AM PDT by Mashood
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: txrefugee; TXnMA; Bull Snipe; Bob; mad_as_he$$
"...This was our newest super-duper ship with all the navigation bells and whistles that couldn’t detect an oil tanker...

A scalpel in the hand of a competent neurosurgeon can save a life and preserve speech and walking to someone who may lose it.

A scalpel in the hand of a butcher will give you a finely cut steak, but it is a dead piece of meat.

A 30 million dollar state of the art sensor system on a billion dollar ship in the hands of a well trained, well drilled, highly motivated and well led crew can spot incoming ballistic or cruise missiles, target them, and shoot them down.

A 30 million dollar state of the art sensor system on a billion dollar ship in the hands of a poorly trained, poorly motivated person being led by people more interested in gundecking qualification reports on that sensor system, and more interested in getting the sexual harassment polices in order and signed off on, is going to be hit by a big, lumbering ship, not to mention rocks, shoals, cruise missiles or thrown grenades.

51 posted on 10/11/2017 9:37:05 AM PDT by rlmorel (Liberals: American Liberty is the egg that requires breaking to make their Utopian omelette.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 22 | View Replies]

To: TXnMA

Agreed. Steering failure or not, there is something rotten in the US Navy.


52 posted on 10/11/2017 9:40:13 AM PDT by rlmorel (Liberals: American Liberty is the egg that requires breaking to make their Utopian omelette.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 49 | View Replies]

To: Political Junkie Too

12 O’clock high-classic.


53 posted on 10/11/2017 10:28:15 AM PDT by fortheDeclaration (Pr 14:34 Righteousness exalteth a nation:but sin is a reproach to any people)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 40 | View Replies]

To: mandaladon

Incompetent losers responsible for their men getting killed. Losers.


54 posted on 10/11/2017 10:37:19 AM PDT by hal ogen (First Amendment or Reeducation Camp?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: hal ogen

As I have stated earlier multiple times: “Every US Naval officer who serves on the bridge of any of our vessels should be required to take and pass all of the US Coast Guard requirements to be qualified as a Third Mate!”


55 posted on 10/11/2017 10:51:09 AM PDT by B-Cause (The trouble with socialism is that eventually you run out of other people's money - Thatcher)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 54 | View Replies]

To: mandaladon

We still don’t know what was going on in the bridge just before the accident.


56 posted on 10/11/2017 11:38:22 AM PDT by JohnnyP (Thinking is hard work (I stole that from Rush).)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Gay State Conservative

it was determined that the McCain,rather than the other vessel,was at fault?

Well the cargo ship was moving pretty slow and snuck up on them so you cannot blame the navy crew......

Meanwhile a enemy missile moving a thousand plus miles an hour will be defeated by navy ship.


57 posted on 10/11/2017 11:45:34 AM PDT by minnesota_bound
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: OldMissileer

My CO had never experienced many ordinary seamanship evolutions, such as sitting in plane guard on a CVN, mooring to a buoy, or running across the Pacific without radar. But he did check the block for ‘Admiral’s Aide’.


58 posted on 10/11/2017 3:38:59 PM PDT by GreyHoundSailor
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 33 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-58 last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson