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U.S. Naval Commanders Charged With Negligent Homicide for Role in Ship Collisions

posted by martyb on Wednesday January 17 2018, @06:18PM   Printer-friendly
from the actions-and-reactions dept.

takyon writes:

Naval Commanders In 2 Deadly Ship Collisions To Be Charged With Negligent Homicide

The U.S. Navy announced Tuesday that the commanding officers of two vessels involved in separate collisions in the Pacific Ocean last year will face court-martial proceedings and possible criminal charges including negligent homicide.

The statement by Navy spokesman Capt. Greg Hicks says the decision to prosecute the commanders, and several lower-ranking officers as well, was made by Adm. Frank Caldwell.

[...] In the case of the USS Fitzgerald, the commander, two lieutenants and one lieutenant junior grade face possible charges of dereliction of duty, hazarding a vessel and negligent homicide.

The commander of the USS John S. McCain will face possible charges of dereliction of duty, hazarding a vessel and negligent homicide. A chief petty officer also faces one possible charge of dereliction of duty.

Previously: U.S. Navy Destroyer Collides With Container Vessel
10 Sailors Still Missing After U.S. Destroyer Collision With Oil Tanker
Chief of Naval Operations Report on This Summer's Destroyer Collisions

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  • (Score: 2) by frojack on Wednesday January 17 2018, @07:38PM (2 children)

    by frojack (1554) on Wednesday January 17 2018, @07:38PM (#623743) Journal

    This may be one change that is very, VERY long overdue.

    I have no clue who's Navy you served in, but major damage (to say nothing about loss of life) to a ship, in peace time, due to navigational fuckups has ALWAYS been a career ending mistake in the US Navy.

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  • (Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Wednesday January 17 2018, @08:25PM (1 child)

    by Runaway1956 (2926) Subscriber Badge on Wednesday January 17 2018, @08:25PM (#623780) Journal

    There are "career ending mistakes" which are kept out of the public view, and there are courts martials. How many officers in decades past have been put on public display, and charged with heinous offenses? Negligent homicide is a damned serious charge. One which the Navy would prefer be kept hush-hush. The Pentagon and the entire chain of command would much rather sacrifice an enlisted man, than admit that an officer could be so negligent.

    I don't know whose Navy YOU served in, either, if you can pretend to be unaware of all of that.

    This incident was handled very differently from our current disasters:
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_C._Rogers_III#Naval_career_following_Vincennes [wikipedia.org]

    • (Score: 2) by sjames on Wednesday January 17 2018, @09:19PM

      by sjames (2882) on Wednesday January 17 2018, @09:19PM (#623812) Journal

      To be fair, Rogers didn't wreck his ship and was engaged with unfriendly vessels at the time. He was also awake at the time.