Captain of vessel involved in collision relieved of command
WASHINGTON — The captain of a Navy warship that lost seven sailors in a collision with a commercial container ship in June will be relieved of command and nearly a dozen others face punishment, the Navy’s second-ranking admiral said Thursday.
Adm. William Moran, the vice chief of naval operations, told reporters that the top three leaders aboard the USS Fitzgerald, which was badly damaged in the collision off the coast of Japan, will be removed from duty aboard the ship. They are the commanding officer, Cmdr. Bryce Benson; the executive officer, Cmrd. Sean Babbitt; and Master Chief Petty Officer Brice Baldwin, who as the ship’s command master chief is its most senior enlisted sailor.
The actions are being taken by Rear Adm. Joseph Aucoin, commander of the Navy’s 7th Fleet, based at Yokosuka, Japan, because he lost confidence in the three, Adm. Moran said.
In addition, nearly a dozen face non-judicial punishment that has yet to be determined, Adm. Moran said, adding that details on those actions are to be announced Friday after they are completed.
Adm. Moran said the actions are to be taken shortly, although the Navy’s investigation into how and why the USS Fitzgerald collided with the container ship in June has not yet been completed.
“Serious mistakes were made by members of the crew,” Adm. Moran said, adding that he could not fully detail those mistakes because the investigation is ongoing.
The crash occurred in the pre-dawn hours of June 17 off the coast of Japan in an accident-prone area known for congestion.
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