SASEBO NAVAL BASE, Japan — Six crewmembers from the USS Patriot face administrative separation from the Navy after they were found guilty of hazing during Captain’s Mast, Navy officials said Friday.
The hazing incident on the minesweeper occurred May 27, according to 7th Fleet spokesman Cmdr. Jeff Davis, who declined to provide specifics on the incident or the individuals involved, saying that information from non-judicial punishment proceedings is privacy-protected.
The six crewmembers were found in violation of the Uniform Code of Military Justice shortly after the incident, Davis said. He said there are several portions of the code that could be applied to a hazing case, such as failure to obey an order, assault or conduct unbecoming.
The sailors’ fate now lies in the hands of the first flag officer of Command Task Force 76 based in Okinawa, Davis said. He was unaware of any specifics regarding an appeals process.
“The Navy has a very clear policy on hazing,” Davis said in an email to Stars and Stripes. “Acts of physical violence, to include striking individuals who have been advanced, are strictly forbidden. Hazing has no place in our Navy.”
