US Navy to charge Destroyer Captains over recent collisions

a reply to: Zaphod58


The type of court martial will determine the level of punishment that can be meted out. These charges are such that General Courts-Martial are more likely as these can impose serious punishments. As to the CO's skating on this, that seems unlikely. The Navy wants to make examples and these officers are in the jackpot.

Over tasking of ships and crews is the root problem and CINCPAC may have been forced to accept the missions by his superiors. The Joint Chiefs are not going to take the fall. I don't know what the ship's watch bills looked like but if they were port and starboard, the crews would fatigue more quickly than a three section watch. Fatigue makes for inattention to detail and resulting human error. The solution may well be reduction in the intensity of operations which would require the political will to prioritize the level of US involvment in various world events.

a reply to: pteridine

They might get hammered but I'm certainly not holding my breath. I've seen way too many times where a higher ranking officer got a plea bargain or light punishment.

As for the JCS, of course they won't, and neither will anyone with stars on their shoulders. I've seen way too much of that too. Once you get stars you can get away with almost anything and at worst take your pension and separate.

a reply to: Shamrock6

The thing of it is this...

Unless there was a mechanical fault which lead to these mishaps, a faulty rudder, a failed engine shut off system, a totally unforeseen and unforeseeable instance which lead to these incidents, then EVERYONE from the person at the helm, to their commanding officer, to the captains of the vessel, AND those who were responsible for THOSE commanders (for example, the admirals being discussed here), should be up on charges, stripped of their rank without the possibility of appeal, and damned well keelhauled until the pressure of water going into their mouths, forces their organs out of their exhaust ports.

There is no way that anything other than institutionally supported incompetence, impatience and outright stupidity, is responsible for these events as it stands, from what is known of the events so far. Those responsible, from the highest authorities down to the lowliest grunt, MUST pay for what they have done.

originally posted by: TrueBrit
a reply to: Shamrock6

The thing of it is this...

Unless there was a mechanical fault which lead to these mishaps, a faulty rudder, a failed engine shut off system, a totally unforeseen and unforeseeable instance which lead to these incidents, then EVERYONE from the person at the helm, to their commanding officer, to the captains of the vessel, AND those who were responsible for THOSE commanders (for example, the admirals being discussed here), should be up on charges, stripped of their rank without the possibility of appeal, and damned well keelhauled until the pressure of water going into their mouths, forces their organs out of their exhaust ports.

There is no way that anything other than institutionally supported incompetence, impatience and outright stupidity, is responsible for these events as it stands, from what is known of the events so far. Those responsible, from the highest authorities down to the lowliest grunt, MUST pay for what they have done.

The helmsman follows the orders of the OOD and can take no action without them. Many other crewmen are in the same situation. The Navy is aware of who should have done what and has taken action accordingly.

Crew fatigue from extended operations is also a possibility. Who would you hang then?