by John Konrad (gCaptain) This weekend the US Navy eliminated the second in command – Chief Mate or Government Officer (XO) – of the Hospital Ship, USNS Mercy, whereas federal brokers examine allegations of sexual assault in opposition to a crew member.
The US Navy’s Navy Sealift Command has confirmed to gCaptain that the XO was escorted off the hospital ship by Naval Felony Investigative Service (NCIS) brokers who’re investigating allegations of sexual assault.
As of but, no arrests have been made. NCIS says they can’t touch upon lively investigations.
The hospital ship USNS Mercy (and her sister ship USNS Consolation) is uncommon as a result of it has two Commanding Officers (CO) and two XOs. The ship itself is beneath the command of a US Service provider Marine Captain who doesn’t maintain a fee within the Navy and a Service provider Marine (CIVMAR) Chief Mate who serves because the ship’s govt officer. The hospital amenities aboard the ship, nevertheless, have a separate CO and XO who’re commissioned US Navy officers.
The Naval officers aboard the Mercy haven’t been implicated in any wrongdoing.
In line with a supply near the sufferer, after the XO was eliminated, a number of extra crew members reported being harassed or assaulted by the US Service provider Marine XO.
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In line with public sources, the chief officer is a local of White Plains New York and holds a bachelor’s diploma and masters from New York Maritime College. Previous to becoming a member of Navy Sealift Command (MSC), he labored as an officer aboard a ship operated by Maersk and American Presidents Traces. In line with his LinkedIn profile, he joined MSC in 2015 and was promoted to Chief Mate in January of this yr.
Additionally Learn: US Admiral Refuses To Send SASH Report To Congress
Accountability At Sea
A senior US Naval officer informed gCaptain that it’s unclear what company may make an arrest contemplating the Government Officer is a civilian and US Merchant Mariners working board US Navy ships are considered civilians not subject to the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) except during times of conflict. Additional complicated the matter is that a minimum of one reported incident allegedly occurred off-base in Guam and the truth that, in Might, the US Navy revealed new guidelines removing the authority of unit commanders to investigate sexual crimes.
“The brand new Navy investigation guidelines got here on the identical day that the Sexual Harassment Impartial Investigations and Prosecutions Act was launched to Congress by Rep. Jackie Speier (D-Calif.),” says the military publication Task & Purpose. “And two years to the day after Military Pvt. Vanessa Guillén was reported lacking from Fort Hood, Texas. Guillén, 20, was repeatedly sexually harassed by a noncommissioned officer in her unit earlier than her dying.”
It additionally comes simply weeks after a Jury convicted 4 former Navy officers in ‘Fat Leonard’ scandal trial the place profitable ship-husbanding contracts have been handed out to personal contractors in change for prostitutes, lavish journeys, and cash.
The Navy has not commented on what number of experiences of assault or harassment occurred aboard the USNS Mercy. Each NCIS and Admiral John C. Aquilino the four-star officer in charge of US Navy Indo-Pacific Command despatched us to Navy Sealift Command for additional remark.
A Mission Of Humanitarian Help
The USNS Mercy is presently docked in Guam after visiting Vietnam throughout operation Pacific Partnership, a humanitarian mission that contributes to regional stability and safety within the Indo-Pacific by offering engineering, medical, dental, veterinary, humanitarian support, and catastrophe response companies within the area.
The operation is a vital ingredient within the United State’s efforts to secure friendships within the South China Sea as China turns into more hostile to US Naval activity.
Additionally Learn: Engineer Who Tried To Kamikaze A US Navy Hospital Ship With A Train Gets Prison
Hospital Ships
Mercy is the biggest hospital ship on this planet and is one in every of two US navy hospital ships, with 1,000 beds, 800 medical workers, emergency rooms, and intensive care models. Now in its seventeenth yr, Pacific Partnership is the biggest annual multinational humanitarian help and catastrophe aid preparedness mission performed within the Indo-Pacific.
The USNS Mercy is most well-known for it’s function within the COVID-19 pandemic when, from March till Might 2020, the ship was docked on the Port Of Los Angeles cruise ship terminal beneath order from President Trump to offer aid to native hospitals that the place overwhelmed by the pandemic.
Editorial Be aware: The USNS Mercy shouldn’t be confused with Mercy Ships, the worldwide charity that gives medical support to African nations.
Sexual Assaults Aboard Ship
This newest incident occurred simply months after the XO’s former faculty, SUNY Maritime Faculty, turned entangled in a coverup of sexual misconduct that included a US Service provider Marine Admiral refusing to release a SASH report to Congress.
It comes simply weeks after Midshipman Hope Hicks, a US Navy Reserve officer candidate and scholar on the US Service provider Marine Academy, revealed her identity as Midshipman X.
Final yr Hicks grabbed worldwide consideration beneath the psdeduonym “Midshipman-X” after she anonymously shared her story about being raped in 2019 by a superior officer aboard a Maersk-owned containership beneath navy contract.
No arrests have been made within the Midshipman X case or some other case involving the rape of US Service provider Marine and US Navy Reserve officers working aboard ship and, regardless of being fired by Maersk, Hick’s lawyer claims her assailant is again at sea working for the MEBA union.
Join The Dots
If the reader is confused about how the US Service provider Marine, US Maritime Service, US Navy, and Navy Sealift command are interrelated and who’s answerable for investigations aboard ships beneath the command of US Service provider Marine captains, you aren’t alone. Our reporters are additionally confused as are officers gCaptain spoke with at Pacific Command, Seventh fleet, NCIS, the US Maritime Administration (MARAD), and the US Coast Guard.
A Harvard Regulation Journal paper on the authorized standing of US Service provider Mariners (who the Navy calls CIVMARS) aboard US Navy ships says that – whereas the U.S. Navy has lengthy supported small numbers of mariners aboard warships – the unprecedented latest growth of this civilian presence “presents distinctive authorized challenges.” The report’s writer – LT Elan R. Ghazal, JAGC – states that issues will develop into extra acute sooner or later as mounting fiscal pressures lead Pentagon planners to additional depend on Service provider Mariners to satisfy manpower wants all through the fleet.
Tailhook 2.0
The underside line is that between this incident, the rape of the US Naval Reserve officer candidate Midshipman X, one uniformed Admiral’s refusal to answer congress, and dozens extra incidents involving US Naval Reserve officers and candidates in addition to US Service provider Marine officers reported by the non-profit sexual assault advocacy group Maritime Authorized Help & Advocacy.
“The US Navy wants to assist the US Maritime Administration and US Coast Guard kind out these authorized points,” stated one former naval officer gCaptain interviewed. “I hope the Secretary of the Navy, CNO or the Secretary of Transportation steps in earlier than this turns into our era’s Tailhook Scandal.”
Also Read: Rape At Sea – An Open Letter To USMMA Midshipman X
Navy Command Firings
This isn’t the primary senior officer aboard a naval ship relieved this yr. The Navy has relieved 13 commanding officers and an undisclosed variety of XO’s up to now in 2022 together with a Marine Corps officer who was working in a Navy command.
“The Navy tends to alleviate leaders in clusters, and the firings have come thick and fast recently,” stated Tasked & Goal in an article about these firings. “In each case, the Navy stated the lads have been relieved “on account of lack of belief and confidence” of their skill to command slightly than offering the precise the reason why they have been fired except for USS Preble commander Lesaca, whom a Navy spokesman informed the San Diego Union Tribune was relieved after he was arrested on suspicion of drunk driving.”
The particular causes for many of those firings should not identified however “lack of belief and confidence” sometimes contains errors in judgment, civil arrests, poor efficiency, and sexual misconduct.
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