McCain: 20 sailors reprimanded in wake of 7th Fleet at-sea incidents

http://www.militarytimes.com/news/your-navy/2017/09/19/sen-mccain-20-sailors-reprimanded-in-wake-of-summers-fatal-at-sea-collisions/

McCain: 20 sailors reprimanded in wake of 7th Fleet at-sea incidents

By: Geoff Ziezulewicz    14 hours ago


The Navy has issued 20 reprimands to officers and enlisted sailors in the wake of three major collisions in 7th Fleet waters this year that include the fatal disaster involving the destroyer Fitzgerald, Senate Armed Services Committee head Sen. John McCain said Tuesday during a hearing on Navy readiness. Administrative actions including non-judicial punishment and relief for cause have been undertaken against 20 skippers and sailors from several ships involved in incidents this year, with most stemming from the June 17 Fitzgerald collision that killed seven sailors. No sailors from the destroyer John S. McCain, which collided with an oil tanker in August and resulted in the deaths of 10 sailors, have been charged or disciplined thus far, according to officials.

News of the disciplinary tally follows Monday’s firing of a two-star admiral and a squadron commander by the new head of the Navy’s troubled 7th Fleet. Vice Adm. Phil Sawyer, who took over 7th Fleet last month after fellow three-star Joseph Aucoin was relieved, fired Task Force 70 commander Rear Adm. Charles Williams and Destroyer Squadron 15 commander Capt. Jeffrey Bennett Monday.A brief 7th Fleet release cited a loss of confidence in the abilities of Williams and Bennett to command. They are the latest high-level firings in the troubled 7th Fleet in recent weeks following the deaths of 17 sailors on the destroyers John S. McCain and Fitzgerald this summer.
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The Arizona Republican’s allusion to the reprimands came during an hours-long hearing, where Chief of Naval Operations Adm. John Richardson, Navy Secretary Richard Spencer and a government watchdog head fielded questions from an armed services committee that seemed flabbergasted by the extent of the Navy’s readiness issues.

Several lawmakers questioned why recommendations made by the Government Accountability Office over the years had not been implemented by the Navy. McCain called it “troubling” and “unacceptable” that 37 percent of Japan-based destroyer and cruiser certifications were expired as of June. “As leaders of our Navy, you must do better,” he said.

Richardson said his fleet-wide review in the wake of Fitzgerald and McCain collisions, which claimed the lives of 17 sailors total, will be completed by the end of October. He also said the service is not waiting on that review to make changes.

Ships transiting in high-traffic waters of the West Pacific are now activating the automatic identification system, or AIS, which tracks the movement of commercial vessels, Richardson said. “We had a distorted perception of operational security, that we kept that system off our warships,” he said. “One of the immediate actions following these instances is that in particularly heavy areas, we’re going to turn it on.” Richardson said AIS use in such situations poses no operational security issues because “you can look outside and see the ship.” Material inspections of ships are also underway, he said.

The GAO has issued 14 recommendations in the past three years to improve readiness, GAO Defense Capability and Management Director John Pendleton said at the hearing. Recommendations included urging the Navy to assess the pros and cons of basing ships overseas, as well as revising deployment schedules, among others, he said.
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McCain asked Richardson about the fact that the GAO has been warning of Navy deficiencies for years. "How do you explain that, admiral?” McCain said. Richardson responded that he had “no explanation,” but that the service remains committed to closing such shortfalls and is not sitting idle.
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