How an executive officer’s misconduct — and a commander who failed to correct him — got them both fired
By Geoff Ziezulewicz
Apr 19, 05:28 PM
Before he and his boss were relieved in December, a littoral combat ship’s executive officer berated junior officers, told a female subordinate that a military acronym stood for a derogatory sexual term and made jokes to another female colleague about a once-viral pornography video, according to an investigation obtained by Navy Times.
That investigation substantiated sexual harassment, maltreatment and hostile work environment allegations against Cmdr. Phillip Lundberg, the former XO of LCS Omaha, but it also found that the ship’s onetime commanding officer, Cmdr. Richard Zamberlan, failed to rein in his deputy.
While both officers were investigated in connection to their time commanding the training ship Omaha, they were actually commanding the LCS Montgomery as part of a hull swap when the Navy announced their firing on Dec. 30.
“CDR Lundberg’s conduct ranging from berating outbursts, throwing objects, aggressive course correction in front of peers and subordinates, communication barriers, and inappropriate humor and commentary created a work environment that was abusive, offensive and hostile,” the investigation states.
https://www.navytimes.com/news/your-navy/2022/04/19/how-an-executive-officers-misconduct-and-a-commander-who-failed-to-correct-him-got-them-both-fired/
