Seafort
Made His Bed, Is Now Lying In It
Le sigh~ Always the bearer of wonderful news, am I.
Norfolk Virginian-Pilot said:July 1, 2010
Norfolk Naval Shipyard Commander Sacked
By Bill Sizemore, The Virginian-Pilot
The commanding officer of Norfolk Naval Shipyard has been relieved of duty after a year on the job because of a loss of confidence in his ability to command.
The removal of Capt. William Kiestler stems from "a series of events over the past few months that affect the management and execution of work" at the yard, according to an announcement Wednesday from the Naval Sea Systems Command in Washington.
The events involved "failure to ensure critical maintenance work was being performed according to procedure and loss of situational awareness with respect to the status of ongoing submarine projects," said Patricia Dolan, an organization spokeswoman.
Two nuclear submarines, the Tennessee and the Montpelier, are now in the yard. Dolan would not discuss whether delays or cost overruns are expected for either sub.
The decision to remove Kiestler was made by Vice Adm. Kevin McCoy, commander of Naval Sea Systems Command.
Capt. Anthony Mullarky, currently assigned to the organization's headquarters as assistant deputy commander of industrial operations, will be the acting shipyard commander until a new commanding officer is assigned.
Kiestler, who took command of the shipyard in June 2009, is being reassigned to the staff of Naval Sea Systems Command. Trained as a nuclear electrician, he is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy.
The shipyard in Portsmouth is one of four Naval Sea Systems Command shipyards specializing in repairing, overhauling and modernizing ships and submarines.
It employs 8,750 civilians and 1,362 active-duty personnel.