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2008-12-31 Home Front: WoT

USS West Virginia (SSBN) Gold Skipper Relieved

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Posted by gromky 2008-12-31 00:01|| || Front Page|| [11130 views ] Top

#1 One of the biggest reasons for senior naval officer relief from command are "self inflicted zipper wounds".

Posted by Anonymoose 2008-12-31 00:16|| 2008-12-31 00:16|| Front Page Top

#2 Whoa - I was looking up the PEARL HARBOR-WW2 BATTLESHIP "WEE VEE" on the Net.

["Twilight Zone" theme here].

Posted by JosephMendiola 2008-12-31 00:32|| 2008-12-31 00:32|| Front Page Top

#3 My guess: a little too much drinky-drinky.

Posted by Scooter McGruder 2008-12-31 00:35|| 2008-12-31 00:35|| Front Page Top

#4 This comment thread has some people who claim to know the skipper, and they say he was a screaming humiliator who berated people day and night whether they deserved it or not. The Navy never says anything in these matters...

Posted by gromky 2008-12-31 00:40|| 2008-12-31 00:40|| Front Page Top

#5 Dunno if it's in-house politics or not, but there's an endless list of ways for a navy ship captain or airwing CO to get himself relieved. During my junior-enlisted youth in the mid 70's, I was standing a quarterdeck midwatch with one of our more cynical LTJG's, who told me about an informal poll our CO conducted in the wardroom one day - this was during Jimmuh's administration, when the forces were hemorrhaging experienced personnel (eventually including your humble correspondent) at an alarming rate. The Captain asked the wardroom full of officers how many aspired to command at sea, and was saddened to see only a couple of about 15 officers raise their hands. They all knew that a CO spends his entire command tour riding the edge of a knife, just one small mistake - his or a subordinate's - away from a twilight tour counting sea lions at NAVSTA Adak. And it's probably even worse now, with a fleet less than half the size of the one we had 20 or so years ago.

Posted by Ricky bin Ricardo (Abu Babaloo) 2008-12-31 00:44|| 2008-12-31 00:44|| Front Page Top

#6 ...Keep in mind the USN is seriously touchy (and rightfully so) about its boomers and the guys who run them. If CMDR Hill had a serious case of the stupids AND somehow got through all the safeguards, the relief might have been as much CYA for the Navy as it was for his own sins.

Mike

Posted by Mike Kozlowski 2008-12-31 05:26|| 2008-12-31 05:26|| Front Page Top

#7 Maybe all the captain needed was a cookie and a glass of milk.

And the Navy was all out of milk...

Posted by badanov 2008-12-31 07:13|| http://www.freefirezone.org]">[http://www.freefirezone.org] 2008-12-31 07:13|| Front Page Top

#8 Unlike our utterly dispicable Congress which exercises civilian control over the military, the United States Navy has standards, safety and progressionalism to uphold. I salute the US Navy and thank Cmdr Hill for his service. I wish him fair winds and calm seas in his future endeavors.

Posted by Besoeker 2008-12-31 07:57|| 2008-12-31 07:57|| Front Page Top

#9 Standards to uphold?? That's un-American!

Posted by Anguper Hupomosing9418 2008-12-31 10:10|| 2008-12-31 10:10|| Front Page Top

#10 sounds like his calm seas will be on his own sailboat

Posted by rabid whitetail 2008-12-31 10:55|| 2008-12-31 10:55|| Front Page Top

#11 "Loss of confidence" can be anything, from lousy ship-handling, to poor command climate, to failing to maintain standards.

And Ricky bin Ricardo is right - there are a multitude of opportunities to lose command.

Posted by Pappy 2008-12-31 13:48|| 2008-12-31 13:48|| Front Page Top

#12 What Besoeker said, although in my ignorance i thought it was following seas (whatever that means). Just as war pitilessly weeds out not only the incompetent but the unlucky, so too must our armed services as soon as they become aware that one or the other holds true, for the sake of those they command.

Posted by trailing wife ">trailing wife 2008-12-31 13:58|| 2008-12-31 13:58|| Front Page Top

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