Pacific Fleet admiral says he'll retire

https://www.navytimes.com/news/your-navy/2017/09/26/pacific-fleet-admiral-says-hell-retire/

Pacific Fleet admiral says he'll retire

By: Geoff Ziezulewicz    6 hours ago

The head of the Navy’s Pacific Fleet announced Monday that he will retire after being passed over for the top job at U.S. Pacific Command. Adm. Scott Swift’s announcement, made in a posting to Pacific Fleet’s website, marks the latest departure for regional and surface force commands in the wake of two fatal destroyer collisions this summer that killed 17 sailors.
(snip)

In Monday’s statement, Swift said the service’s top officer, Chief of Naval Operations Adm. John Richardson, had informed him that he would not become the next commander of U.S. Pacific Command. “In keeping with tradition and in loyalty to the Navy, I have submitted my request to retire,” Swift said. “I do so with great appreciation and gratitude for the honor of having served so many Sailors and their families for what will be 40 years in January.”
(snip)

Swift said he had not requested a retirement date “as there is much work to be done here in the Pacific area of responsibility.”
“Whether my timeline of remaining service is six weeks or six months, I will fill that time with the energy of an Ensign,” he said.
(snip)

Swift lamented in August the fact that the Fitzgerald collision off Japan in June that killed seven, and the McCain collision in August that claimed 10 sailors, happened while the Navy was conducting “the most basic of operations.” In a private message to subordinates obtained by Navy Times in August, Swift said the fleet experienced “a series of unfortunate incidents, some of which claimed the lives of our shipmates,” while conducting basic duties like anchoring, navigation surface ship contact management and carrier qualifications.
(snip)