Servicemembers debate reprimands of USS Safeguard personnel
By Greg Tyler, Sasebo
bureau chief
Jordan |
SASEBO NAVAL BASE, Japan — Several servicemembers weren’t
surprised when reprimands were handed down Monday to three key leaders assigned to the USS
Safeguard.
Lt. Cmdr. Ross Mitchell, commanding officer, Lt. William Block, the
executive officer, and Senior Chief Petty Officer Jimmie Plummer, the ship's master diver,
received letters of reprimand in connection with a fatal diving accident on May 5.
Servicemembers said Wednesday that Navy leaders are traditionally
held accountable for every incident occurring within their command.
Reprimand is “what they should get,” said Seaman Stephanie
McCraw, who works in the base’s Port Operations Department. “They were in charge
when it happened … and should know what’s going on.”
The three sailors, as well as the ship’s diving officer, who was
not reprimanded, were ordered to shore duty last month as the Navy investigated the death
of Seaman Matthew Draughon, 21, a Safeguard diver.
Manning |
The Safeguard was sent to Pacific Ocean waters near Misawa Air Base,
in northern Japan, to find debris from a F-16 that crashed while training at Ripsaw range
April 3. Draughon died after becoming tangled underwater with another diver, Petty Officer
3rd Class Brian Gordon, near the ship’s anchor during a night dive. Gordon was
rescued.
The investigation is complete, but the Navy has not released its
findings. The Navy also has refused to release further details about the incident.
Petty Officer 3rd Class Joshua Miller, a diver on the Safeguard, says
he’s not certain whether or not the reprimands are appropriate.
“To tell you the truth, it [the diving mishap] is something that
just happened. As far as [Mitchell] being relieved, I have no idea if that’s the
answer,” Miller said. “In general, commanding officers are responsible for
everything that happens on their boats.”
Petty Officer 1st Class Marvin Harris, from Sasebo’s Fleet
Imaging Department, said, “It’s like anything in the Navy. Someone is going to
be held responsible. The chain of command is definitely held liable.
Another sailor agreed with Harris.
Harris |
“When you assume a position like CO or XO, you go into it
realizing that you are accountable for whatever is going on,” said Petty Officer 3rd
Class Xzaiver Jordan, who works for the base’s AFN detachment. Petty Officer 3rd
Class Denny Manning, a hospital corpsman at Sasebo’s medical clinic, said the entire
issue is an “unfortunate” event with which to contend.
“Something like this had to happen. The CO of the ship is
automatically held responsible. I think the Navy did what it had to do,” she said.
“Whether it’s fair or not, I can’t honestly say.
“But if they were absolutely sure this was just an accident,
then I would suggest that they should be transferred to another duty station or another
command [instead of being punitively reprimanded],” she added.
Marine Staff Sgt. Timothy Ames, a communications systems
administrator stationed at Sasebo, questioned the reprimand.
“If there were unsafe diving conditions there, then yes, the CO
and XO and diving [lead petty officer] officer should be held responsible for letting them
go in the water,” he said.
“But divers receive hazardous duty pay, just like anybody who
jumps [parachutes] or works on a flight deck or serves in combat conditions. They know
… accidents are going to happen.
“So if this was a legitimate accident, nobody should be held to
blame,” he added.
Doug Huddy contributed to this report.
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