Navy commander who misled families into drinking poisoned water given award upon retirement
Haley Britzky - Yesterday 4:53 PM
The Navy commander of a joint military base in Hawaii where thousands were poisoned by water contaminated during a massive fuel leak was recently awarded the Legion of Merit upon retirement.
Capt. Erik Spitzer, formerly the commander of Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, was relieved of command on June 14 by Capt. Mark Sohaney, according to photos released by the Navy. Spitzer was criticized in the midst of the water crisis for providing conflicting guidance that residents' water was safe in the days after the fuel leak. But during the change of command ceremony, Spitzer was awarded the Legion of Merit Award, which is awarded to service members “for exceptionally outstanding conduct in the performance of meritorious service to the United States.” His award citation praised his response to the leak at the Red Hill fuel storage facility and says his role led to the "expeditious restoration of clean water."
Spitzer's award citation (U.S. Navy)
The Navy did not respond to questions about if Spitzer, or any other Navy officials, were reprimanded for their roles in the crisis.
Spitzer retired in June, according to The Washington Post, but less than a year before that he was one of the many Navy officials overseeing the service’s response to a significant water contamination crisis. On Nov. 20, 2021, tens of thousands of gallons of fuel spilled from a low point drain valve, where it had drained after a previous mishandled spill in May. While the majority of the almost 20,000 gallons of fuel were recovered after the leak in November, roughly 5,500 gallons were not.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/navy-commander-who-misled-families-into-drinking-poisoned-water-given-award-upon-retirement/ar-AAZhCn9?ocid=msedgntp&cvid=6aea99a6a27f4ae2a53fa5d147be8f3d
