CO of USS The Sullivans relieved

[boobcheese]

I take exception to this statement. Not all accidents are caused by negligence my friend. All too often, people look for scapegoats and in the public eye, there HAS to be someone to blame. Sometimes, there are just risk factors that cannot be mitigated. That doesn't make it negligence, just piss poor luck.

Unless you can point the finger at the man who is responsible when something goes wrong, then you never had anyone really responsible.

ymmv

 

[BigRed389]

I'm guilty of generalizing, but it seems that sometimes the damage could be even less with the same result of a CO being canned.

Not saying it happened here, but it is very possible to make command without ever proving yourself in seamanship.

In fact, you never have to "prove" yourself as a shiphandler until you are the CO...then you are responsible during risky evolutions to oversee and train your subordinates in the art/science of it.

So if a CO does something demonstrating a dangerous lack of seamanship/shiphandling qualities, even if no major damage occurred, then it might be too late to let them "figure it out."