Fight the Ship: Death and Valor on a Warship Doomed by Its Own Navy

ProPublica ^ | Feb. 6, 2019 | T. Christian Miller, Megan Rose and Robert Faturechi

[GrootheWanderer]

A little after 1:30 a.m. on June 17, 2017, Alexander Vaughan tumbled from his bunk onto the floor of his sleeping quarters on board the Navy destroyer USS Fitzgerald. The shock of cold, salty water snapped him awake. He struggled to his feet and felt a torrent rushing past his thighs. Around him, sailors were screaming. “Water on deck. Water on deck!” Vaughan fumbled for his black plastic glasses and strained to see through the darkness of the windowless compartment. Underneath the surface of the Pacific Ocean, 12 miles off the coast of Japan, the tidy world of Berthing 2 had come undone. Cramped bunk beds that sailors called coffin racks tilted at crazy angles. Beige metal footlockers bobbed through the water. Shoes, clothes, mattresses, even an exercise bicycle careered in the murk, blocking the narrow passageways of the sleeping compartment. In the dim light of emergency lanterns, Vaughan glimpsed men leaping from their beds. Others fought through the flotsam to reach the exit ladder next to Vaughan’s bunk on the port side of the ship. Tens of thousands of gallons of seawater were flooding into the compartment from a gash that had ripped through the Fitzgerald’s steel hull like it was wrapping paper. As a petty officer first class, these were his sailors, and in those first foggy seconds Vaughan realized they were in danger of drowning. At 6 feet, 1 inch and 230 pounds, Vaughan grabbed a nearby sailor by the T-shirt and hurled him toward the ladder that led to the deck above. He yanked another, then another. Vaughan’s leg had been fractured in three places. He did not even feel it. “Get out, get out,” he shouted as men surged toward him through the rising water.

[Portcall24]

Thank you so much for sharing this. What an amazing report.

[nicepaco]

Thanks for posting this very interesting article.

[Bull Snipe]

Explain the big hole in the Fitzgerald’s hull just forward o the superstructure. Fitz wasn’t overtaking Crystal she was crossing. That explains the damage done to the her hull. Now that damage could be explained by Fitz maneuver in the few moments before impact, but it is pretty clear that the Crystals bulbous bow plowed a big hole in Fitz.

[Future Snake Eater]

It certainly paints the military in a bad light - repeatedly skipping maintenance, understaffing and under-training the crew.

All very common, especially in the sequestration era.

[daniel1212]

Tip: Pentagon Covering Up Fact That Female Officers Nearly Sank Navy Ship

[daniel1212]

Worse than you thought: inside the secret Fitzgerald ... - Navy Times https://www.navytimes.com/...navy/.../worse-than-you-thought-inside-the-secret-fitzg

Their report documents the routine, almost casual, violations of standing orders on a Fitz bridge that often lacked skippers and executive officers, even during potentially dangerous voyages at night through busy waterways.

The probe exposes how personal distrust led the officer of the deck, Lt. j.g. Sarah Coppock, to avoid communicating with the destroyer’s electronic nerve center — the combat information center, or CIC — while the Fitzgerald tried to cross a shipping superhighway.

When Fort walked into the trash-strewn CIC in the wake of the disaster, he was hit with the acrid smell of urine. He saw kettlebells on the deck and bottles filled with pee. Some radar controls didn’t work and he soon discovered crew members who didn’t know how to use them anyway.

Fort found a Voyage Management System that generated more “trouble calls” than any other key piece of electronic navigational equipment. Designed to help watchstanders navigate without paper charts, the VMS station in the skipper’s quarters was broken so sailors cannibalized it for parts to help keep the rickety system working.

A warship doomed by 'confusion, indecision, and ... - Navy Times https://www.navytimes.com/...navy/.../a-warship-doomed-by-confusion-indecision-an.

As the seconds ticked toward 1:30 a.m. on June 17, 2017, Lt. j.g. Sarah Coppock darted onto the Fitzgerald’s bridge wing. The sea air curled black around her as she gripped the alidade, frantic that she’d be tossed overboard....

Coppock’s fellow watchstanders on the bridge also had succumbed to “confusion, indecision, and ultimately panic,” according to an internal Navy investigation into the Fitzgerald disaster obtained by Navy Times.

Fort’s team of investigators described a bridge team that was overworked and exhausted, plagued by low morale, facing a relentless tempo of operations decreed by admirals far above them, distrustful of their superiors and, fatally, each other. And Navy officials knew all of that at least a year before the tragedy.

The crew’s workday began at 6 a.m. on June 16, 2017, and it involved “a full schedule of demanding evolutions.” By the time Coppock and her watchstanders arrived on the bridge 16 hours later for their four-hour shift, they were “fatigued and without adequate rest,” the report states....

Despite a standing order to warn him when vessels got too close to his warship, no one bothered to awaken Benson as the Fitz neared the Crystal and two other commercial vessels.

Coppock wasn’t communicating with her CO or his XO but she also wasn’t talking to the ship’s electronic nerve center — the Combat Information Center, or CIC....But Coppock wouldn’t talk with the CIC because her counterparts there “had given her bad information in the past,” according to the report.

The CIC was led by Lt. Natalie Combs. Testifying under oath at a hearing last year to determine if Combs should stand court-martial, Fort said it was “unfathomable” that the bridge didn’t talk to the CIC on the night of the disaster....Another junior officer told Fort’s investigators “she could not trust the person next to her.”

[higgmeister]

Forty years ago I was in the Air force at a joint services base in the Azores. The Navy guys I worked with, although not on sea duty, seemed totally shipshape to a man. The Navy in general was always more stiff and by the book as far as I saw. They knew signals and processes that we sometimes had to look up in the book.

A PO at Stockton BFC once pointed out to me that their Navy ET schools were two years long to our 26 weeks in the Air Force. He said they had to train for not only their job but also the job of the guys in the sections adjoining them. If you lost a man at sea there was no was to get a new man to replace him. They had to know "the other sailor's job" too.

So, it jumped right out at me that they could let their email system crash and use gmail instead. They should have had ETs working around the clock to get it restored before anything else.

How could radar consoles have buttons taped over and stay unrepaired. How hard can it be for an ET to fix or replace a broken switch on a critical radar console?

How could ETs report trouble complaints as operator error without making sure the Operations Specialists are properly trained to keep it from happening again?

Flying bridge lookouts not posted due to manning strength? During WWII my Dad pulled watch while on convalescent duty with Rheumatic Fever down at Boca Chica field in Key West. They couldn't find a Seaman to stand watch? How busy is a Boatswain's mate in the middle of the night?

[Vineyard]

The careers of officers involved are effectively over. The senior ranked officers will be allowed to finish their careers and retire. The junior officers responsible will not be allowed to renew their commission.

Technically - one does not 'renew' a commission. An officer serves at the pleasure of the Navy - and has an 'indefinite' service period. The officer can request to be let out of the Navy - by submitting a letter resigning their commission, but 6 months notice (minimum) can be required, and in extreme times, the resignation can be bumped out for greater than months.

If a junior officer is 'ineffective' - they get 'Passed Over' for promotion. And - they get a 2nd look - and if passed over a second time, they are released from service within 1 year. That is the closest to 'not renew their commission'.

Senior officers (service of 18 years or more) are permitted to get their '20 years' - and retire with full benefits. A LCDR (O-4) is permitted to go to 20 years, even if they are passed over for CDR (O-5) - typically looked at in their 14th and 15th year...so twice passed over - still permitted to go to 20 and retire. Even a Mustang (prior enlisted) - say a LT (O-3) who is at the 17 year point - getting passed over for LCDR (O-4) and makes it to their 18th year - can now stay for 20 and retire.

BUT - the junior officers discussed in the article - assuming no prior service...the LTjg (O-2) - is eligible for 'automatic' promotion to O-3 at the 4 year point, ASSUMING no bad report. Anyone culpable of bad performance - would have the promotion recommendation withheld. (I knew a LTJG who failed to get his Submarine Dolphins in the alloted time period of 2 years ....and it typically takes only 1...and he didn't make O-3 and was 'encouraged' to depart the Navy.)

The LT (O-3) would be 'in-zone' for promotion around the 10 year point after initial commissioning...and a bad performance evaluation is a kiss of death for promotion. For those who see the writing on the wall - it makes more sense to pull the plug, resign the commission, and get started on your next career rather than waiting for the 2X pass-over and then getting forced out.

[Darth Mall]

for later

[Blood of Tyrants]

Thank, I was enlisted and never knew the process for officers.

[DoodleDawg]

bfl

[TXnMA]

I agree: possibly, the first point of contact was between the Fitz' lower hull and the Xtal's underwater protruding bow. The Fitz "rode up on" the protrusion -- rising out of the water enough to get the top of the Captain's cabin high enough to be destroyed by the Crystal's forward gunwale.

At the same time the Fitz did a lot of rolling (heeling over) and the two vessels deflected from each other -- separating them -- with the Fitz "making a 360 degree circle to port".

The whole event took only a couple of seconds -- and a lot happened during that time...

~~~~~~

I've been otherwise occupied, and haven't yet finished the long article.

When I've done so, I'll share graphics that should help explain the dynamics... And, with new data, I may create a few others.

So far all the new data reinforces my prior analysis.

Thanks for responding! I'm hoping to put all this un-published work to use...

TXnMA
 

[Sequoyah101]

Breau did her job just like a lot of other people did. I’d say the two petty officers were heroes.

OOD “incolsolate” and crying in the corner? Yup, you bet that is who I want to go to war with.

A combat ship with combat radar not working?

A guided missile defense ship whose ability to acquire targets was questioned.

The report says the radar was all working even though it could not be tuned?

How would you like to be at sea with a bunch of girls for 4 months after they all synch up?

What is our military going to be like when they all hit the big M?

The whole freaking mess is out of control. The whole affair sounds more like a high school trip or a windjammer cruise than a ship of war being prepared to go in harm’s way.

[JME_FAN]

I don’t give a rat’s ass what anybody has to say to the contrary - women do not belong on naval vessels.

[JME_FAN]

Can you imagine what could have happened had we been at war, with this bunch in command of a destroyer? I read all this crap about “PTSD” - from an effing collision? WTF would be their reaction if bullets and shells were flying? If this is our Navy, we’re effing doomed in a conflict with China or Russia.

[JME_FAN]

OK, XO, CO and CIC I got - WTH does all the other alphabet soup stand for?

[TXnMA]

Thanks!

[Bull Snipe]

Thanks

[centurion316]

This is what happens when you don’t have an effective training program and when you don’t have the money to do proper maintenance. The gift of 8 years of Obama. However, that is the normal state of affairs in Russia, China, and most of the rest of the world’s militaries. The Russians and Chinese can stage very impressive parades, but under that thin veneer they have serious problems. We don’t want to be them.

[Vineyard]

Not a problem.

For those following these comments -enlisted personnel sign an ‘enlistment contract’ that is for a set period of time...initial contract might be for 4, 5 or even 6 years - based on training to be received. AND - later on - they can re-enlist for periods of time. Re-enlistments can occur very early, with the service ‘ending’ the existing contract as they sign a new contract.

Back in my days in the Navy - some very smart enlisted people might sign for 6 years and get specialized training...like to be a Nuclear trained person in the engine rooms of submarines. At the end of the training, they might already be E-4 (3rd class Petty Officer)....and the Navy offers them a NEW 6 year contract (cancelling the 4 years remaining of the 4) -they get a ‘signing bonus’ - AND they get promoted to E-5 (2nd class Petty Officer.)

BUT - enlisted can also be classified as ‘not recommended for re-enlistment’ - and be forced out at the end of their current enlistment.

The MARINES - typically bring in large numbers of people for 4 years enlistment - and they typically only recommend about 25% to 30% to be retained (re-enlisted) - while the majority are ..’thank you for your service, good luck in civilian life’ discharged.

Officers don’t have ‘period of time’ contracts - except for perhaps Reserve Officers who might be mobilized for a period of time (they ‘mobilize’ and go from Reserve duty to Active Duty) - and when that period of time is complete - they are released from Active Duty and return to Reserve duty. And - a reservist on Active Duty can be released fairly easily due to ‘non-performance’....