The commanding officer of the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Decatur (DDG-73) has been fired after an investigation accused him of filing false position reports to hide the fact that his ship had stalled for hours in the Pacific, according to a report.
The San Diego Union-Tribune reports that Cmdr. John “Bob” Bowen was removed from command of the ship back in January following a Navy investigation that determined he ordered his crew in September to not report that the ship had stopped to conduct maintenance on a propeller shaft somewhere between Hawaii and the California coast.
The stop lasted four hours, and the crew hid that by inaccurately reporting ship positions that showed that the ship was constantly moving even though it wasn’t, the investigation reportedly claimed.
To cover it up, members of the ship’s crew had to disable the ship’s Link 16 and Global Command & Control systems so that the ship wouldn’t relay its true positions, the investigation also stated.
The report indicated that Bowen told investigators that while he chose not to inform 3rd Fleet of his situation, he did not tell the crew to falsify positions.
MAIN PHOTO: ARABIAN SEA (Dec. 14, 2018) The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Decatur (DDG 73) transits the Arabian Sea. The John C. Stennis Carrier Strike Group, Essex ARG, and 13th MEU are conducting integrated operations in the Arabian Sea to ensure stability in the Central Region, connecting the Mediterranean and the Pacific through the western Indian Ocean and three strategic choke points. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Tyler Diffie)
