http://hamptonroads.com/2008/07/navy-relieves-gw-captain-executive-officer-a fter-fire
Two top Navy officers fired over $70 million carrier blaze By Dale <http://hamptonroads.com/2007/10/dale-eisman> Eisman The Virginian-Pilot C July 31, 2008 WASHINGTON The Navy's Pacific commander fired the top two officers on the aircraft carrier George Washington on Wednesday after investigators concluded that a $70 million fire that damaged the ship in May probably was triggered by crew members sneaking a smoke. Capt. David C. Dykhoff, skipper of the carrier, was relieved "due to a loss of confidence in his ability to command and his failure to meet mission requirements and readiness standards," the service said. His executive officer, Capt. David M. Dober, was sacked "for substandard performance." Both actions were ordered by Adm. Robert Willard, commander of the Pacific Fleet. A Navy spokesman said each man will get an as-yet-unannounced assignment ashore. The disciplinary action almost certainly ends their careers, however. Sailors who may have been directly involved in starting the fire could be subject to administrative action later, said Lt. Cmdr. Charles Brown, a spokesman for the commander of the Navy's air forces. The fire occurred May 22 as the George Washington was headed from its former home in Norfolk to Yokosuka, Japan, where it will replace the carrier Kitty Hawk, which is being retired. While the full report of the Judge Adjutant General investigation was not released, the Navy said it concluded that the fire likely was caused by "unauthorized smoking that ignited flammable liquids and other combustible material improperly stored in an adjacent space." The fire and its intensity "were the result of a series of human acts that could have been prevented," the Navy summary added. It cited "the storage of 90 gallons of refrigerant compressor oil in an unauthorized space" as a factor in the fire's severity. The summary said the fire began in a boiler exhaust and supply area and spread quickly because of a "chimney effect" in nearby spaces and duct work. The 12-hour battle to extinguish the fire injured 37 sailors, one of whom received first- and second-degree burns. The fire was the worst of 13 reported aboard Navy ships this year. The George Washington has been undergoing repairs near San Diego since shortly after the blaze. It is to depart on Aug. 21 and arrive in Yokosuka sometime in September. About 2,800 sailors have had to live on board the ship since it entered the shipyard in late May. They don't have cars or off-ship housing because most of their families and household goods are headed to or already in Japan. Helping with the repairs has helped maintain morale, said Lt. Cmdr. Bill Urban, a ship spokesman. Many sailors also have taken short vacations to visit family or sight-see; others have been bused to San Diego parks, concerts, Padres baseball games and comedy clubs, he said. The fire forced the Navy to slightly delay the Kitty Hawk's retirement and instead send that ship to participate in an annual Rim of the Pacific Exercise in the George Washington's place. Urban said some George Washington sailors joined the Kitty Hawk's crew for the exercise. Wednesday's actions marked the sixth time this year the Navy has relieved one of its commanding officers and the fourth time the discipline involved command at sea. Earlier this week, the skipper of the Pearl Harbor, an amphibious transport, was fired after the ship ran aground in the Persian Gulf. Dykhoff, a West Virginia native, had been in command of the George Washington since December 2006. He is a former F-14 Tomcat and F/A-18 Hornet pilot and squadron commander and a former executive officer of the carrier Nimitz. Dober, a native New Yorker, also is a former F/A-18 pilot and squadron commander. He had been executive officer of the George Washington since March 2007. To replace Dykhoff and Dober, the Navy tapped Capt. J.R. Haley to be the George Washington's skipper and Capt. Karl O. Thomas to serve as executive officer. Both men have ties to Hampton Roads from their service on carriers based in Norfolk. Haley commanded the Theodore Roosevelt from 2005 until last January. Thomas had been serving as executive officer of the Dwight D. Eisenhower. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------------------ -------------------------- Want to discuss this topic? Head on over to our discussion list, [EMAIL PROTECTED] -------------------------- Brooks Isoldi, editor [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.intellnet.org Post message: [email protected] Subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] *** FAIR USE NOTICE. This message contains copyrighted material whose use has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. 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