Navy removes two senior officials in USS Fitzgerald, USS John S. McCain probes
by Anna Giaritelli | Sep 18, 2017, 7:38 AM
The Navy has fired an admiral and a captain amid investigations into the two separate and deadly collisions involving the destroyers USS John S. McCain and USS Fitzgerald in the Western Pacific this summer, according to a report Monday.
Rear Adm. Charles Williams, commander of Combined Task Force 70, and Capt. Jeffrey Bennett, commodore of Destroyer Squadron 15, were removed by 7th Fleet Commander Vice Adm. Philip Sawyer on Monday for their roles in separate crashes that killed 17 sailors and left hundreds of millions of dollars in damage to the vessels, USNI News reported.
The two are the fifth and sixth officials to be dismissed in relation to the incidents.
The Fitzgerald's top three leaders — commanding officer Cmdr. Bryce Benson, executive officer Cmdr. Sean Babbitt, and Command Master Chief Brice Baldwin — were fired after the June incident.
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http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/navy-removes-two-senior-officials-in-uss-fitzgerald-uss-john-s-mccain-probes/article/2634726
