FITZGERALD’s Commander Bryce Benson relieved for medical reasons
David sends us a link to Reuters which reports that the guided missile destroyer USS FITZGERALD’s Commander Bryce Benson has been relieved of his duties temporarily because of injuries he sustained when his ship collided with the Philippine-registered ACX Crystal late last month;
None of the investigations has apportioned blame for the accident, or explained how an advanced U.S. warship with sophisticated radars and trained lookouts sailing in clear, albeit dark, conditions was struck by a vessel more than three times its size.
In the first detailed account from one of those directly involved in the collision, the cargo ship’s captain, in a report seen by Reuters, said the ACX Crystal signaled the Fitzgerald with flashing lights about 10 minutes before the collision, but that it did not respond or alter course.
The U.S. Navy has said it would not comment until the investigations were complete.
The destroyer is dry-docked at Yokosuka, Japan while it is undergoing repairs.
Category: Navy
The man had plenty of bad luck as it was but I have to wonder what he brought to the table…he certainly could have lightened up a bit in that official photo…all other things being equal, would you prefer to work for the smiley guy or the “I can make your life hell” guy…looks like he belongs in a hardass SWO Madame Tussaud’s exhibit…
Navy command pictures have always been a head scratcher to me. Never understood why they wore their hats in most of them.
PS: I’m Army. It’s a hat. I have a cover on my bed.
That is strange. I spent years in the army and never heard anyone call it a hat. I use the term “cover” which I learned in basic training, and I have heard “PC”, “headgear”, “cover” and and when specific “beret” or “helmet”.
But never “hat”. I even reads strange to see “hat” be associated with military headgear.
Are you sure people were calling it a “hat” when you served?
Reminds me of the joke; Young sailor goes on leave after his first sea duty. After a couple of days at home his father takes him aside and tells him, “listen son, now that you are home how ’bout knocking off the jargon. It’s a wall, not a bulkhead. It’s the floor, not the deck. And at the table don’t ask your mother to pass the fucking ketchup.”
Or ask her if she’s making baboons ass or cat turds for dinner.
OR donkey dicks and bleached pubes, shit on a shingle,…
Horse cock sandwiches.
when I got out, I had to watch my language every time I opened my mouth.
I checked 670-1. The only “hat” in the army is the Drill Sergeant hat. All other headgear is a cap, beret, helmet, etc.
So, only drill sergeants wear hats.
I’m a geezer. White name tape Army. Never heard the term cover til I had some joint duty. In airborne units we wore overseas caps aka x@*t caps aka piss cutters. Leg units called the green billed headgear hats aka flying saucers. Things change Eh? Geeze out.
Bus driver hat.
Yep. Forgot that
I had a c*nt cap
That I remember.
We were ahead of our time. Here it is 2017 and women proudly wearing pussy hats is heroic.
Bucket hat. (WAVES exclusively.)
And there was the Fidel Castro hat/cap. Never forget the day a fellow 2LT put his on the First Sergeant’s desk in the 82nd. Top got his ruler out, picked the hat up with it, and dropped it in the trash. Never changed expression.
those were from around the mid to late 1950’s?, era of the DA haircuts. WOW
Nope. Wore them in 1963 at Bragg. Forget when we went to ball caps
A little history on the Castro Cap from an old supply sergeant:
Also known as the Ridgeway cap. Preferred model was the “Spring-Up” made by the Louisville Cap Corporation. Sold at the PX for two bucks.
Jan 62 the Cap, Field (Hot Weather) OG-106 (Pinhead Cap) was officially adopted and slowly made its way into the inventory/ranks over the next two years.
Oh, almost forgot. Note for He Who Shall Not Be Named:
The headgear for Army WACs (female personnel of the era) that was worn with either the Class A or Class B uniform was officially named a Hat, not a Cap. So it’s not just Drill Sergeants that wore a “Hat.”
I don’t remember anyone ever calling a “boonie hat” a “boonie cover,” Claw. It would have been like putting ketchup on a hotdog…
Garrison caps, wheel hats, c**t caps.
I FREAKING hated wearing hats/covers/whatever! EXCEPT for when I had to wear a Combat Vehicle Crewman’s (CVC)helmet. Any part of an armored vehicle is hard enough to dent my own super-dense skull and even with the CVC on, you usually got bounced around enough to appreciate having a helmet on.
I do remember stuffing the OD green baseball hat behind you into your waistline. Really great place to keep it, until you had to take dump…Wheres my hat? Ohhhhh…
Bit of Tanker History I got from reading and watching Videos made by a ” World of Tanks” staff member Nicholas Moran AKA the Chieftain.
WOT is a video game that is based on tank combat and incorporates actual Vehicles made from the mid 1930s to the mid 60s.
Moran’s job is to do historic research.
One thing he discovered was that there was a disparity in the number of casualties between US and British Tank crews that were using Shermans.
Moran pointed out that the disparity was based on one significant fact.
US tankers wore helmets and the Brits wore Berets.
I liked my Navy khaki “pisscutter”…absolutely useless as headgear but easy to stow under my belt indoors
Hats are for civilian ladies and little children.
Sailors wear covers.
Bad idea to judge people by their pictures. A smiley picture is not evidence of a relaxed leadership style. The guy can still be a micromanager, reluctant to allow room for subordinate leader development.
I wouldn’t say judge as much as take as an indicator. I had a big grin in my command photo and I believe the command performance metrics spoke volumes. I’ve certainly met smirking psychopaths and smiling assassins but if I had a choice I prefer a bit light over heavy…the SWO officer community has historically had a bad rep for harshness, even sadism…I saw that as one who has been among them…OOD letter, SWO qualified, TAO letter and steamed in Desert Shield/Storm….prefer aviators any day…capable smiling people get more positive results…
Pretty blue eyes.
Here’s hoping he recovers fully.
Well stated…IF he made mistakes, he has paid for them already in my view
I’m curious. What are the two round button/pin looking items on his coat? The one on the right side on his chest and the other down and left of the ribbons just next to the coat button?
The pin that is level with his ribbons on his right chest (left side of picture) is his command at sea pin, denotes just what the name says.
The other you asked about… Is just a button, must likely useless but just a button.
Aargh, Me Mateys.
I always thought that extra button was where the sash for the cutlass scabbard hooked on to.
But I was Army, so could be wrong./smile
On the Navy Dress Blue jacket there are a total of (6) buttons. (3) functional for buttoning the jacket and the other (3) are non-functional and decorative in nature.
The sword (officer)is attached using a sword belt worn underneath the uniform and a scabbard that houses the sword. The CPO Cutlass (Chief, Senior Chief & Master Chief)is attached using a belt & strap with a “Throg” that houses the cutlass scabbard.
Thanks for the education.
It’s a double-breasted coat.
Stupidity is a medical condition?
I have heard that there’s a lot of evidence that both ships could have contributed to the accident.
“In the first detailed account from one of those directly involved in the collision, the cargo ship’s captain, in a report seen by Reuters, said the ACX Crystal signaled the Fitzgerald with flashing lights about 10 minutes before the collision, but that it did not respond or alter course.”
This is the first I’ve heard of this.
There were also allegations that the ACX Crystal was running on auto pilot and unattended on the bridge.
That may or may not be true.
Why would you make a statement like that? “Stupidity is a medical condition?”
Seeing as how you so graciously coupled the results of the accident with the CDR’s (alleged by you) actions, that would indicate that you think that CDR Benson is stupid, right? Or that he might have contributed to the accident due to his own stupidity or a set of stupid decisions/actions/orders.
Do you know something we don’t? Were you aboard Fitzgerald, possibly on the bridge or in the CO’s stateroom during the collision.
Either way, huge reckless reach calling him or his actions (alleged) stupid.
It was also reported that he was one of the casualties aired off the ship originally, his cabin is right about at the collision point according to some of the floatie guys’ comments at the time. Think you overstepped on this one a bit.
The (2) “button/pin looking devices” – The one located directly below the ribbon rack is exactly that, a button. Non-functional, but still a button.
The other “button/pin looking device” on the right side of the jacket is the Command at Sea insignia.
Good timing and info Chief.
I say again: Until the investigation is submitted, it’s all scuttlebutt. Interesting conjecture, sure, scuttlebutt none the less.
Get well soon, Commander.
Rather unlikely he will be returned to command.
SWO–We Eat Our Own. Plus, investigations usually result in CO (and others) getting relieved, unless there are some SERIOUSLY extenuating circumstances involved.
Worked for Nimitz…he got adverse paper for running his shop aground and was banished to subs…which together with tactical aviation, turned into the Navy’s elite….the surface Navy not so much
Ship not shop…need to qc better when using iphone
Bit of a difference between 1908 and now.
He certainly got a break and wonderfully argued his point about aggressively driving his ship into the unknown…now, every mistake or misfortune appears a career bust…not good…
I hope the Commander recovers well and soon. Whatever happened, I have to believe someone on the destroyer will be held accountable, one or more even.
I’m still mourning the sailors lost. But I am sure big Navy is doing whatever it is they do when they have an at sea, underway, open water fender bender.
I imagine its pretty much the “Commander” ultimately being responsible for what goes well and what does NOT go well.
Its probably one hell of a lot tougher on the “captain” of a warship than on a troop/company/battery commander in the Army.
I wish him a speedy recovery, but Im betting his career is going to be in intensive care.
The CO takes the fame and accepts the blame….and every one who has been a CO knows (or should know) there’s some luck involved with a successful tour
1610desig,
That is truly a “no shit!” comment. Even only being an army reserve company commander, those two-weeks always had some sphincter clinching moments… Thank GOD for wise and wooley 1SG’s! 🙂
You’re so right, but u may also learn that not all first shirts are wise and wooly…the good ones will see you through and the mediocre or bad ones, well….one key to success is to discern between the two…
“The CO takes the fame and accepts the blame….and every one who has been a CO knows (or should know) there’s some luck involved with a successful tour”
Amen Brother! I’d never see that expression before but it is so spot on.
Had a thing in VN that still bothers me. One of my LT’s took down his hooch sandbags since we were moving the next day. I was pissed when I saw it but didn’t make him recover. Tet happened that night and he jumped out of his bag during a mortar attack and took shrapnel in his back and medevaced. I never knew what happened to him but as his CO I should have made him dig in. He was a great LT too. Woulda, coulda, shoulda….
I thought he would be immediately relieved of command due to the investigation and if once cleared go back.
The flashing light signal 10 minutes prior to the collision on the part of the container ship is an interesting detail. It seems to show that the ACX Crystal was not under autonomous auto-pilot, and that its crew was aware of the Fitzgerald’s proximity. So a fair question to ask would be why under those circumstances, particularly with apparently no radio contact to determine intentions, did the ACX Crystal maintain a collision course? And what was up with its AIS track shown HERE?
My own view, pure speculation as a non-squid, is that piloting on the Fitzgerald failed at three separate levels which might not have been due entirely to negligence: 1) Direct visual because the destroyer was blindsided by the container ship approaching from the starboard-aft side, 2) Radar failure because the ACX Crystal got lost in either the clutter of other marine traffic or navigation hazards, and 3) Failure of radio communications because the two ships were not on the same hailing frequency.
It seems clear that the ACX Crystal crew was aware of the USS Fitzgerald up until the collision, it’s not clear that the reverse was true.
“…did the ACX Crystal maintain a collision course?”
Rules of the road PG. There are rights of way at sea; in closing situations one ship is the “Stand On Vessel,” and is obliged to maintain course and speed, while the other is the “Give Way Vessel” and must maneuver to avoid collision. Usually. Look up “Burdened Vessel” as well. It’s basic seamanship. Generally if you see my port (left) side, I am starboard, have the right of way, and will maintain course/speed. You must maneuver around (preferably behind) me.
From what I’ve seen the Crystal was the “Stand On’ vessel, and the Fitz simply didn’t see it in time to maneuver out of the way.
You are fresher than I am on the ROR…I can tell u also that as a once OOD, you expected that most shipping has no clue so you drive defensively at all times…hell, I’ve driven with NATO ships and with the exception of the brits, they were maritme imbeciles..and you NEVER took your eye off the Italians …they’d cut your bow just to get laid or pick up a pizza…still wonder why the Warsaw Pact lost the Cold War…
Not fresher, haven’t driven a boat in a coon’s age. But some things you never forget. Did talk this over with Son #2, the Merchant Mariner. We both think that Fitz was the burdened vessel, and should have given way. The investigation will hash all this out, and I doubt it’ll be pretty.
And if you think Italian ship drivers are nuts, try sharing airspace with their flight crews.
Brrrr……
I could be wrong, but I’d guess this week’s award for Most Pucker-Factor Maneuver By An International Air Crew might go to the pilots of the Air Canada flight trying to land on the taxiway where four other aircraft were waiting to take off.
http://www.mercurynews.com/2017/07/11/sfo-near-miss-air-canada-flight-got-extremely-close-to-planes-on-taxiway/
I’d say you were right.
AF Col friend of mine was observing a check ride of a NATO AWACS with a German checking an Italian. (I don’t know the proper AF terminology). The Italian screwed up everything the German told him. After many such events, the German turned to my USAF friend and said: “Now you see why we lost the war!” Was an international shit storm when they landed at GK.
I assumed that once the Skipper was incapacitated due to his injuries, the XO took command. This must be just a paperwork formality.
Then again, I was in Naval Aviation and our CO’s and XO’s were full CDR’s. The XO would relieve the CO after about 18 mos. A new XO was brought in…and the cycle continued.
From what I understand the XO’s on the smaller smallboys are LCDRs; still looking to get that go-ahead for a command billet.
I do hate to say it; but the poor guy is going to carry a huge part of the blame warranted or not.
Regardless, I hope the Commander gets better soon.
That left seat/right seat xo/co succession was smart…the SWOs were late to adopt it….keeps the vagaries of leadership modulated
I hate to see anyone get hurt, and I hope he recovers fully and completely. It’s refreshing at least to see an officer relieved for medical reasons rather than for being a knucklehead.