Jun 18, 2022 - Politics & Policy

U.S. Navy has dismissed a dozen officers with little explanation

Axios

A ship — Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Kearsarge of the U.S. Navy at the harbor in Stockholm, Sweden, on June 3. Photo: Reinaldo Ubilla/NurPhoto via Getty Images

The Navy has terminated about a dozen officers over the last several months due to a “loss of confidence” in their ability to command, NBC News reports.

Driving the news: Earlier this month, five officers were let go in the span of a week. The Navy said the series of dismissals is not related, but did not elaborate on what actions or circumstances specifically led to the decisions.

Catch up fast: The Navy offered few details in most of the cases and gave a boilerplate explanation — a “loss of confidence” — for others.

The commanding officer of the USS Bulkeley destroyer and his third-in-command were relieved last week, with the Navy citing doubt about their "ability to effectively function as a command leadership team."
The Navy referenced the climate at the Naval Justice School for dismissing both the commanding officer and second-in-command at the end of May.
A probe preceded the termination of the officer in charge of the Submarine Training Facility in San Diego in late April, per NBC News.
A “series of leadership and oversight failures" at the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility in Hawaii prompted another officer’s dismissal in early April

What they’re saying: "The U.S. Navy has long maintained high standards for all its personnel. Those who fall short of these standards are held accountable," said Navy spokesperson Lt. Cmdr. Devin Arneson, per NBC.

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U.S. Navy has dismissed a dozen officers with little explanation

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