USS BAINBRIDGE leadership canned
WTKR reports that the commander, the XO and the senior enlisted man of the USS BAINBRIDGE (DDG-96), an Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer, were fired yesterday because they had either smuggled or had knowledge of the smuggling of fireworks on board the ship. And, oh, yeah, there was gambling;
Cmdr. Sean Rongers was relieved of his duties due to loss of confidence in his ability to command following an investigation into the storage of commercial fireworks onboard the ship in violation of Navy instructions, unlawful gambling aboard the ship contrary to Navy regulations, poor program management and a poor command climate.
Former executive officer, Cmdr. Brandon Murray and Command Master Chief Richard Holmes have been temporarily reassigned. The investigation found that both Murray and Holmes were fully aware of the purchase and storage of fireworks.
I’m guessing that the Navy needs a shooting war that they can get involved in. Idle hands are the Devil’s tool kit.
But, someone in the crew reported the malfeasance. The motto of the BAINBRIDGE is “Competence, Dedication, Discipline”
Category: Navy
The fireworks could have caused a safety problem since that crap is unstable. But I’ll wager if there was a bona-fide morale reason and a safety plan, e.g., store them on deck in a fireproof container, they could have obtained command approval. But I am shocked, shocked to hear there was gambling on board a US naval vessel. Shocked.
Pyrotechnics on a warship? Seems legit.
What a bunch of bullshyt! All the weapons and combustibles on board a ship and they fire them for fireworks? Not only that, they would be out at sea, could hurt absolutely NOTHING…This sounds like that bozo in the white houses work!!
No fun allowed even in international waters – US Navy recruitment ad
Floggings will continue until morale improves.
It says so in the Bluejacket Manual. I still have mine from 1968.
I have a 1914 1st print from the Ben Frankiln Press. Even better language in that one. 🙂
A Navy Captain I worked for told me that an officer’s manual from the early 1900’s said something to the effect of “enlisted men are shiftless, lazy, and bear close watching.”
I guess these days, the close watching part should apply to the O-gangers too.
US Naval Officers Handbook, 1864 edition: “Enlisted men are sly, cunning and devious and bear considerable watching at all times.”
I guess we Mustangs were the more sly cunning & devious and fooled them into a butter bar.
That quote was posted in the study area where I trained as a navy nuke.
Mottoes are nice, aren’t they?
I had one once. Used to whine outside my back door. I just didn’t feed it, so it ran away.
Gambling by servicemen? I am shocked beyond belief. Hell, on payday we didn’t even play poker. It was a high-card draw and the money vanished in minutes for all but a few lucky or slick fellows. The Liberty ships of WW II were floating gambling joints. In fact, this gambling-ban business is news to me.
If every Sailor on a warship was disciplined for gambling, there would be maybe 31 Sailors available to go to sea.
Gee, for some reason the little voice in my head says this was more politics than actually problems.
Naaaaaw, the military doesn’t act that way at all.
Wow… a trifecta from a single ship! Politics or things must reallybeallfuckeduplikeasoupsandwich on USS Bainbridge.
Lack of leadership at the top trickles down the ranks. Then selective enforcement results in headlines like this. The problem is particularly bad at this time since the lack of leadership starts at the very top of the pyramid.
^^^Word^^^
I’ve rarely seen a command with crappy leadership that, overall, was squared away. Some parts were squared away if they had a good department head and good LCPO.
Just like a slot machine someone hit the trifecta and won. Oh wait, that’s gambling.
Those who can tell the difference between a Seabiscuit and a Man O’ War might point out that a trifecta is a horse racing wager. Just sayin’…
Here’s a wacky idea..
Start posting Senior leaders who are keeping their jobs. It seems every few days someone in a senior leadership slot is getting canned because of their actions on (or off) the job.
IOW, the money from the gambling wasn’t going to the Rec Fund via Anchor Pools, etc.
Either that or some stupid fuck lost more than he could afford and had to come up with a story to cover his ass with the wife.
Wouldn’t be the first time that happened, either.
Could be, SEA. Or, alternatively, maybe someone got in trouble with the skipper (NJP, bad eval), knew about the fireworks and gambling – and decided to use those as payback. Probably not the first time something like that’s happened, either.
Case in point: I’ve heard that the latter (e.g., a disgruntled sailor filing a complaint) is how CAPT Honors’ videos that got him relieved of command of the USS Enterprise a few years ago came to the attention of DoN. (I’ve also heard from someone who’d served with Honors prior to his command that he was a both arrogant to a fault and stubborn. Not exactly a good combo.)
Part of a leader’s job at every level is to know when to enforce the “letter of the reg”, and when it’s apropos to cut slack. The former, taken to extremes, can kill morale and trust. Unfortunately, the latter can often end up biting them dead in the butt. It did here.
It’s sometimes a difficult tightrope to walk.
And the Traitor in Chiefs purge continues.
http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2013/11/obama-vs-the-generals-099379
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=PuQAxo4jyvk
http://amac.us/obama-changes-direction-us-military-command-fires-9th-general-purge/
http://m.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/nov/12/gordon-transforming-the-us-military/
https://jhaines6.wordpress.com/2014/11/14/list-of-military-elite-purged-and-fired-under-obama-compiled-by-general-paul-vallely-3-17-14/
I’m currently reading a really interesting book regarding the Leyte Gulf campaign.
While reading the book, this latest firing came immediately to mind.
Admiral Spruance turned the other way as far as Gambling was concerned. He figured it was a harmless vice helped his young Sailors and JO’s pass the time.
http://www.amazon.com/The-Last-Stand-Sailors-Extraordinary/dp/0553381482