Navy details changes, more oversight in wake of warship fire

3 years ago 217

WASHINGTON – More than a twelvemonth aft arson destroyed a Navy warship, work leaders said Wednesday they are making changes and expanding oversight to close wide failures that led to the scrapping of the USS Bonhomme Richard.

“I spot the nonaccomplishment of the Bonhomme Richard arsenic preventable and wholly unacceptable. The Navy is taking a hard look astatine our shortcomings,” said Adm. Bill Lescher, vice main of naval operations. He said it was not conscionable “happy talk.”

A caller strategy of unannounced inspections has begun, Lescher told reporters, and disciplinary options are being considered for what a reappraisal concluded were wide lapses successful training, coordination, communication, occurrence preparedness, instrumentality attraction and wide bid and control.

“We are superior successful doing thorough investigation to recognize and amended the Navy, we’re holding leaders accountable for the deviation from standards that we see, and we’re connected a wide way to thrust learning and correction,” helium said.

A study obtained by The Associated Press connected Tuesday recovered that portion the occurrence was deliberately acceptable arsenic the 840-foot (256-meter) amphibious battle vas was docked successful San Diego for a $250 cardinal upgrade, it was mislaid owed to repeated failures by an “inadequately prepared crew” incapable to extinguish the blaze.

Navy leaders said Wednesday that a cardinal uncovering showed that Navy crews are highly susceptible of warring shipboard fires portion astatine oversea and successful combat, but those skills diminution erstwhile ships are docked for maintenance. The Bonhomme Richard was undergoing attraction astatine the clip of the fire.

“Where we’ve missed the accidental is those high-risk situations successful the attraction situation oregon successful the pierside situation wherever we person reduced manning successful disconnected hours oregon we person instrumentality that is unavailable owed to attraction oregon instrumentality that has been moved,” said Rear Adm. Paul Spedero Jr., who led a broad reappraisal that studied 15 shipyard fires implicit the past 12 years.

As a effect of the review, helium said crews volition present beryllium tested, trained and certified erstwhile they spell into a attraction phase, to guarantee they are alert of the information risks and however to mitigate them.

Vice Adm. Scott Conn., who led the reappraisal into the Bonhomme Richard occurrence effect and wrote the last report, said changes, including accrued training, indispensable beryllium made from the commanders down to the sailors connected the deck.

“In times of situation oregon combat, individuals oregon organizations are not going to emergence to the level of our aspirations, they’re going to autumn backmost to the level of training. And we request to guarantee that our grooming is mounting our radical up for success,” said Conn, lawman main of naval operations for warfighting,

The Navy has acceptable up a “Learning to Action Board” that volition enactment successful spot recommendations from the study and different reviews. The Naval Safety Center, which has been led by a one-star admiral, volition beryllium headed by a two-star admiral and volition person expanded unit and responsibilities.

The halfway has already done much than 170 unannounced oregon short-notice assessments of Navy units to guarantee they are gathering information standards.

Retired Navy Capt. Lawrence B. Brennan, a prof of planetary maritime instrumentality astatine Fordham University successful New York, said the findings constituent to issues that the Navy has known astir for decades.

“You tin blasted each the individuals you privation but these are systemic problems,” helium said. “Ships successful the shipyard bash not person capable unit oregon firefighting instrumentality to respond to the probable casualty. And this has been a long-standing problem.”

He said the nonaccomplishment of the Bonhomme Richard should unit the Navy to amended hole its sailors to admit the risks erstwhile a vessel is docked. “It’s casual to walk clip focusing connected the arson allegation but that should not person resulted successful the nonaccomplishment of immoderate warship of this size,” helium said.

Another maritime expert, Rod Sullivan, called the findings “chilling” for anyone who has served connected a vessel wherever occurrence is considered the worst enemy.

“If you’ve been connected a vessel and work this report, you’re astounded by the level of the deficiency of preparedness and by the ineffective enactment taken by anybody successful the Navy to combat the fire,” Sullivan said.

The study dispersed blasted crossed a wide scope of ranks and responsibilities, from the present retired three-star admiral who headed Naval Surface Force Pacific Fleet, Vice Adm. Richard Brown, to elder commanders, little ranking sailors and civilian programme managers. Seventeen were cited for failures that “directly” led to the nonaccomplishment of the ship, portion 17 others “contributed” to the nonaccomplishment of the ship. Two different sailors were faulted for not efficaciously helping the occurrence response. Of the 36, 9 are civilians.

The study straight faulted the ship’s 3 apical officers — Capt. Gregory Thoroman, the commanding officer; Capt. Michael Ray, the enforcement officer; and Command Master Chief Jose Hernandez — for not efficaciously ensuring the readiness and information of the ship.

When the occurrence broke out, astir 115 sailors were connected board,. Nearly 60 were treated for vigor exhaustion, fume inhalation and insignificant injuries. Due to the damage, the Navy decommissioned the vessel successful April. In August, Seaman Apprentice Ryan Mays was charged with aggravated arson and the willful hazarding of a vessel. He has denied mounting the fire.

Fully repairing the USS Bonhomme Richard to warfighting capabilities would person outgo $2.5 cardinal to $3 cardinal and taken 5 years to 7 years, according to the Navy.

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Associated Press writer Julie Watson successful San Diego contributed to this report.

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