Philippines: U.S. Navy Ship Stuck On Coral Reef

[unhappycamper]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/17/philippines-minesweeper-stuck-on-coral-reef_n_2492749.html



Philippines: U.S. Navy Ship Stuck On Coral Reef
01/17/13 03:31 AM ET EST AP

MANILA, Philippines — A U.S. Navy minesweeper ran aground on a coral reef in the Philippines on Thursday, but there were no injuries to the crew and Philippine authorities were trying to determine if the ship caused damage to a marine park in a protected area.

The Navy said in a statement that the crew of the USS Guardian was working to find out the best method of safely extracting the ship.

It had just completed a port call in Subic Bay, a former American naval base west of the Philippine capital, when it hit the reef in the Tubbataha National Marine Park, a World Heritage Site in the Sulu Sea, 640 kilometers (400 miles) southeast of Manila.

The ship was not listing or leaking oil but about 15 percent of the bow appeared to have struck the reef, said Angelique Songco, head of the government's Protected Area Management Board, after flying over the ship in a Philippine Air Force plane. "It does not appear to be damaged."



unhappycamper comment: Look for an upcoming announcement that the Commanding Officer of the USS Guardian has been relieved.

[MADem]

1. Who's next in line on the minesweeper command list?

Pack your bags, your number came up! There might be openings for a JOOD, OOD and XO too!


http://www.stripes.com/news/navy/sasebo-based-ship-runs-aground-off-philippine-coast-1.204215

The Guardian is helmed by Lt. Cmdr. Mark Rice, a former instructor at the Navy’s Surface Warfare Officer School. Rice arrived in Sasebo in October 2011 after serving in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation New Dawn and Operation Enduring Freedom, according to his Navy biography. He had previously been the Guardian’s executive officer.

Often times, commanders are relieved of duty when incidents such as this occur.

Capt. Chuck Litchfield was fired from commanding the amphibious assault ship USS Essex last June after crashing into a refueling ship while en route from Sasebo to California.

On Aug. 30, Cmdr. Martin Arriola was fired from helming the USS Porter after the missile destroyer collided with a tanker in the Persian Gulf. Cmdr. Sara Santoski was fired from commanding Helicopter Mine Countermeasures Squadron 15 on Sept. 1 after two sailors died in a crash.

Twenty-five Navy commanding officers were relieved in 2012 and 23 the year before.

[4Q2u2]

2. In The Old Days

They would promote them. That way it put them behind a desk and could cause minimal damage to the Fleet. Sailors lives well that is another story, but hell ships are expensive. Sailors not so much.