The Navy's Unforgivable Sin

Uh oh.

The Navy says the Norfolk-based destroyer Barry is being inspected for damage after it ran aground in the Black Sea.

Officials say the ship ran aground Thursday as it was preparing to dock at a port in Turkey. Tugs were able to free the ship with assistance from Turkish coast guard divers and is moored at the Samsun pier.

The Navy expects the ship to be able to continue its trip. An investigation into the incident also is planned.

Good luck Commander. The recent record of these incidents has led to a 100% command replacement policy. You know, because no where in history has an effective officer in the US Navy run a ship aground...

Oh wait, ...nevermind.

Update: The Phillip Ewing article in Navy Times gives one hope.

The destroyer was being maneuvered by tugs in the Black Sea port of Samsun, Turkey, when the aft section of the ship became caught on a sand bar, said Cmdr. Scott Miller, a 6th Fleet spokesman. No one was hurt.

And...

A Turkish harbor pilot was aboard the Barry when the ship grounded, according to a Pentagon official, but it isn’t clear if the pilot was in charge of navigating the ship or the ship’s crew was in control.

If the Turks ran our destroyer aground in their own harbor, it is hard to blame the CO. One would think. I still hate this policy, perhaps it has been the COs fault every single time, but that says more about widespread procedure problems in the Navy than just the competence of the ship COs to command their ship.

And btw, both TheCustodian and I are surprised no one caught this in the link above to the CDRs bio: "United States Pacific Fleet Shiphandler Award."