Navy: USS Guardian to be dismantled after running aground

This does not happen every day. I am curious as to how it happened but I wonder why the President of PI says the Navy must explain it. I mean unless it was a deliberate attack on the oceans ecosystem by the OOD, what difference does it make.




http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-202_162-575 ... taha-reef/


"MANILA, Philippines The U.S. Navy said Wednesday that it would dismantle a minesweeper that ran aground on a coral reef in the Philippines after carefully studying all options on how to remove the damaged ship.


Navy spokesman Lt. Cmdr. James Stockman said dismantling the USS Guardian was determined to be the solution that would involve the least damage to the Tubbataha Reef, a protected marine sanctuary where the ship got stuck Jan. 17..........................


.............."
Philippine President Benigno Aquino III said last week that the U.S. Navy must explain how the ship got off course. He said the Navy would face fines for damaging the environment."

Time to fire the captain?

FredHayek wrote: Time to fire the captain?

I don't doubt that was the first thing that happened.

IMHO, there is an entire watch section that is going to Captains Mast. Bet on the OOD, the CO, and the XO being asked some very pointy questions. Unless there are some incredible extenuating circumstances like heavy seas combined with failed navigation equipment and/or loss of engines and steering the Old Man is likely to lose his commission and maybe retirement funds.

I guess not much has changed since I was last in the PI, the Flips don't have two cents to rub together but let any aspect of the US DoD violate an arbitrary rule, let alone an actual law, and the US and the DoD personnel involved are going to pay the full bill (unless the right palms get greased of course...).

otisptoadwater wrote: IMHO, there is an entire watch section that is going to Captains Mast. Bet on the OOD, the CO, and the XO being asked some very pointy questions. Unles.........).

:rofllol :rofllol :rofllol :rofllol WOW otis, as one squid to another you really are going way out on a limb with that. :rofllol Sorry I could not help it.

NPR was already saying that the Phillipines are looking for a very big check for their poor, damaged coral. Maybe we should just sell them a used destroyer, very cheap, only $1.

Blazer Bob wrote:

otisptoadwater wrote: IMHO, there is an entire watch section that is going to Captains Mast. Bet on the OOD, the CO, and the XO being asked some very pointy questions. Unles.........).

:rofllol :rofllol :rofllol :rofllol WOW otis, as one squid to another you really are going way out on a limb with that. :rofllol Sorry I could not help it.

It goes without saying that specific questions are going to be axed and they need to be axed because a US Navy vessel is out of commission for reasons that could have easily been avoided, shipmate to shipmate you got me there.

On the other hand, the days of iron men and wooden ships have come and gone, it's a kinder, gentler Navy and perhaps some forgiveness is available to those who can't or won't perform their duties because "it's too hard or cuts into their recreation during duty hours" I mean it's not like the CO, XO, and the OOD put anyone's lives in danger... Oh wait. Maybe the CNO or Barry will step in and congratulate the Skipper and his staff for their "handsome donations to the Philippine economy" instead? CINCPAC and the Department of State will find a way to smooth it over, probably with our tax dollars and some sort of "environmentally correct" corrective action program.

otisptoadwater wrote:
It goes without saying that specific questions are going to be axed and they need to be axed because a US Navy vessel is out of commission for reasons that could have easily been avoided, shipmate to shipmate you got me there.

On the other hand, the days of iron men and wooden ships have come and gone, it's a kinder, gentler Navy and perhaps some forgiveness is available to those who can't or won't perform their duties because "it's too hard or cuts into their recreation during duty hours" I mean it's not like the CO, XO, and the OOD put anyone's lives in danger... Oh wait. Maybe the CNO or Barry will step in and congratulate the Skipper and his staff for their "handsome donations to the Philippine economy" instead? CINCPAC and the Department of State will find a way to smooth it over, probably with our tax dollars and some sort of "environmentally correct" corrective action program.

After about 35+years I gave up my subscription to Navy Times because it made me spit. I am not sure how much kinder and gentler it is but PC seems to be rampant.

From another squid who clearly is still plugged in or is way more Internet savvy than I am.


"What you won't read in the press is the root cause of the accident. I have been carefully going over the data and it looks like one of two things happened.

1. The digital charting system known as VMS 7.7 did not have an updated coastal DNC chart installed. The chart was older than 2009, prior to 2009 the DNC had a coral reef plotting error of 8 miles. Big time NGA screwup and process screwup by the crew!

2. The DNC chart was updated properly, but the watchstanders ignored the VMS alarms, silenced the alarms and continued navigating into the reef. This may sound implausible on the surface, but the system provides so many routine alarms, guidance had to be written to "pay attention" to every alarm, regardless of how often it sounded.

I'll know in a week or so which of these two scenarios occurred."


http://www.siliconinvestor.com/readmsgs ... htype=Next

For me the safety of the crew and integrity of any US Navy ship/boat/aircraft ought to be paramount to the CO, XO, OOD and command staff, especially in non-combat environments. Why would anyone in a command position ignore risks to the safety and lives of those on duty in areas that are not theaters of war (or actions declared to be "actions other than war" but I won't expand on that here)?

The fight can't be fought when units are combat ineffective and it's doubly worse when the combat units do it to themselves through a lack of attention to duty. I could write a book on all of the sailors and marines I have caught asleep/drunk/absent on duty. To a man I never charged anyone with dereliction of duty before I got all of the details; also to a man I prosecuted everyone of them that was guilty. I did my best to take each one of those men aside and talk to them privately post punishment (most got 7 days NJP on my recommendation), ensure that they understood why what they did was wrong, and built each one of them back up giving them a path to a better in the future. Was I 100% successful? Hardly, but those who took the message and coaching to heart made progress.

Bottom line, sailors and officers on the bridge of any vessel owe their full attention and competent performance of their assigned duties to the crew and safety of the vessel in their control. I'll step off the soap box and let the rest of the community shoot holes in my arguments.