US Navy relieves two more officers over recent ship collisions
The US Navy has sacked two officers in charge of the USS John S. McCain destroyer after the warship smashed into an oil tanker near Singapore in August, leading to the death of 10 US sailors.
The Pacific-based US Seventh Fleet said in a statement that commanding officer Alfredo Sanchez and executive officer Jessie Sanchez "were relieved of their duties" on Wednesday “due to a loss of confidence.”
The statement added that the incident was “preventable” but the commanding officer’s poor judgment and the executive officer’s misguided leadership led to the deadly collusion.
The crash was one of several accidents in the region that has raised concern over the safety and operational effectiveness of US naval vessels. In June another destroyer, the USS Fitzgerald, collided with a Philippine-flagged cargo ship off the Japan coast, leaving seven sailors dead.
Some Navy officials have cited frequent deployments, delayed maintenance, nearly a decade of budget constraints and reductions in resources devoted to training as factors contributing to such events.
US Navy vessels have also been involved in two more collisions in Asia this year. In January, the USS Antietam ran aground near its base in Japan, and in May, the USS Lake Champlain collided with a South Korean fishing vessel.
The Pacific Fleet is in the process of carrying out a ship-by-ship review of its vessels, looking at navigation, mechanical systems, bridge resource management and training.
Following the incident for the USS John McCain, a guided-missile destroyer named after the Arizona senator’s father and grandfather, the Navy sacked the commander of the Seventh Fleet last month.
The latest dismissals bring the number of fired senior commanders to eight.
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