ProudTiger Loc: Tennessee

Here is the latest information on the recent USS McCain collision as well as a reference link. As a former CO of a US Navy ship, I am still interested in learning the rank, g****r and experience level of the Officer of the Deck at the time of collision on the McCain and the Fitzgerald as well. Please post if any reader has that information. Please note -- it is spelled out in the following article that the repairs to the McCain are estimated to be some $223 million and take up to a year to complete. I would bet the cost will be higher. Needless to say we have big time problems in our Navy and the rest of the US Armed Services as well. I hope we can exempt the USMC from the last statement as I believe when the USMC goes down the tubes.... America is not far behind.

God Bless America!

--JB

USS John S. McCain CO, XO Removed as Part of Fatal Collision Investigation

https://news.usni.org/2017/10/10/uss-john-s-mccain-co-xo-removed-part-fatal-collision-investigation

Sam LaGrone – USNI – 10 Oct 17

The commander and executive officer of the guided-missile destroyer that was struck by a merchant oil tanker off the coast of Singapore on Aug. 21 were removed from their positions, a U.S. 7th Fleet spokesman told USNI News on late Tuesday.

USS John S. McCain (DDG-56) commander Cmdr. Alfredo J. Sanchez and executive officer Cmdr. Jessie L. Sanchez were removed from their positions by U.S. 7th Fleet commander Vice Adm. Phil Sawyer, “due to loss of confidence.”


The removals are a result of an ongoing investigation into the collision that cost the lives of 10 sailors and resulted in hundreds of millions of dollars of damage to the ship.

“While the investigation is ongoing, it is evident the collision was preventable, the commanding officer exercised poor judgment, and the executive officer exercised poor leadership of the ship’s training program,” read a statement provided to USNI News.

“Cmdr. A. Sanchez was reassigned to Commander, Naval Forces Japan (CNFJ) and Cmdr. J. Sanchez was reassigned to Ship Repair Facility (SRF) Yokosuka. Cmdr. Ed Angelinas, former commanding officer of USS McCampbell (DDG-85), assumed duties as acting commanding officer. Lt. Cmdr. Ray Ball, chief engineer of USS Antietam (CG-54), will assume duties as acting executive officer.”

The two officers are the seventh and eighth to lose their positions as a result of ongoing accountability actions following the collisions of McCain and USS Fitzgerald (DDG-62) that resulted in the total death of 17 sailors.


Former U.S. 7th Fleet commander Vice Adm. Joseph Aucoin was removed weeks short of his planned retirement shortly after the McCain collision. The command triad of Fitzgerald –commanding officer Cmdr. Bryce Benson, executive officer Cmdr. Sean Babbitt and command master chief CMC Brice Baldwin – were removed from their positions two months after that destroyer’s fatal collision.


Last month, Rear Adm. Charles Williams, commander of Combined Task Force 70, and Capt. Jeffery Bennett, commodore of Destroyer Squadron 15 were removed from their commands as a result of ongoing accountability actions into the two collisions.

News of the removals comes as McCain began its t***sit to the U.S. Naval Base in Yokosuka, Japan to begin planned repairs. According to a Navy cost estimate of the repairs obtained by USNI News, fixing McCain will cost about $223 million and take about a year.


In addition to the investigations into the individual collisions of McCain and Fitzgerald, U.S. Fleet Forces commander Adm. Phil Davidson is leading a Navy-wide investigation. Secretary of the Navy Richard V. Spencer is also leading a separate investigation into the incidents.

The following is the complete statement from U.S. 7th Fleet.

YOKOSUKA, Japan — The commanding officer, Cmdr. Alfredo J. Sanchez, and executive officer, CDR Jessie L. Sanchez, of the guided-missile destroyer USS John S. McCain (DDG 56) were relieved of their duties by Vice Adm. Phil Sawyer, Commander, Seventh Fleet, on Oct. 11. Both were relieved due to a loss of confidence.


John S. McCain was involved in a collision with the merchant vessel Alnic MC Aug. 21 that claimed the lives of 10 Sailors, injured five more, and damaged both ships.


While the investigation is ongoing, it is evident the collision was preventable, the commanding officer exercised poor judgment, and the executive officer exercised poor leadership of the ship’s training program.

Cmdr. A. Sanchez was reassigned to Commander, Naval Forces Japan (CNFJ) and Cmdr. J. Sanchez was reassigned to Ship Repair Facility (SRF) Yokosuka.


Cmdr. Ed Angelinas, former commanding officer of USS McCampbell (DDG-85), assumed duties as acting commanding officer. Lt. Cmdr. Ray Ball, chief engineer of USS Antietam (CG-54), will assume duties as acting executive officer.

saltwind 78 Loc: Murrells Inlet, South Carolina

Proud, I was in a collision at sea many, many years ago. Somebody left a hatch open and the water shorted out steering. We were high-lining personnel from the Warrington to the USS Roberts. They retired the Captain. I was super impressed with the officer that had the con. He knew exactly what to do. I believe that the navy was a little fast on the draw. It is obvious to me that the navy always retires a Captain that commands a ship when something like this happens, since he is responsible for his command!

ProudTiger Loc: Tennessee

Roger your comments Saltwind and thanks for your contribution to America. Yes the Captain (and others) should be relieved in all such cases. I suggest that the Navy you reference was much stronger and much more combat ready than than the Navy we have today. The Navy I retired from some 28 years ago was much stronger than today -- we had one hell of a lot more ships. I would not fit in with today's Navy -- they would probably have me in the brig after about six weeks back on active duty. It seems that today we are more interested in ensuring all hands have a full ration of self esteem, taking care of pregnant women as well as taking care of t*********rs and homosexuals than we are in strong combat readiness and semanship. It seems that standards have been significantly reduced and I wonder when the US military will start handing out participation trophies. I would not put up with the "crap" in today's Navy for a minute. At the risk of repeating my self.... We have BIG problems and a large share of our poor combat readiness can be directly attributed to Barack Hussein Obama, weak Secretaries of Armed Services, as well as weak Admirals and Generals full of administrative experience and BS.

--JB

E

I agree with Saltwind and ProudTiger here. I find it hard to understand how a fast moving quick maneuvering ship like a destroyer could get in a collusion with those slower vessels. Incompetence somewhere worthy of dismissal or court martial.

Interesting observation: The commanding officer, Cmdr. Alfredo J. Sanchez, and executive officer, CDR Jessie L. Sanchez, Where they related?

To often we have tokens advanced in our armed forces over more worthy people, especially by that last POS POTUS. These were for diversity or some other BS. The best man for the job is and always will be the best person for the job and damn that BS diversity. Our armed forces are not a social experiment.

ProudTiger Loc: Tennessee

Interesting question you asked E about the CO and XO having the same last name -- Sanchez. At the risk of making humor in the midst of a very serious matter, The retired Navy officer who sent me this article said he wondered if the Sanchez's were man and wife?! I hope the Navy has not gotten that far in the PC muck yet. If you go to the link you will find their photos -- both males with the same last names.

Best regards,

--JB

E

Thanks for that update. You said, "I hope the Navy has not gotten that far in the PC muck yet." And yet, maybe they did. They could be married homosexual couple or one could be a t****y. The s**t sure gets deep when you consider the options. For the moment I give them the benefit of the doubt.

teabag09

I find it strange that both ships were HIT. They were rammed, they didn't hit the other ship. Could this have something to do with getting two vessels with the capability to shoot down ballistic missiles down out of the area? Is part of the problem the fact that we now have a petticoat Navy? Does the song by the Kink's, LOLA come to mind? Mike