The Navy confirmed Wednesday it has fired each of the highest two officers from the missile destroyer USS John Finn, after first saying the firing of the commander over the weekend.
Cmdr. Angela Gonzales, the commanding officer, and Cmdr. Jonathan Zang, the chief officer, had been fired from the John Finn on Could 19, in accordance with a press release from Cmdr. Hayley Sims, a spokeswoman for the Navy’s Seventh Fleet.
The firings had been “attributable to a lack of confidence of their means to satisfy their duties in main the ship” and had been ordered by Vice Adm. Karl Thomas, the commander of Seventh Fleet.
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In her assertion, Sims stated that the Navy had carried out a command investigation and the findings led to Thomas’ resolution. The Navy initially introduced solely the firing of Gonzales in a press launch posted on-line Saturday. Navy Instances first reported Zang’s ouster.
The firings come simply over two months after the ship and its crew accomplished a homeport shift from San Diego to Yokosuka, Japan.
On the time, Gonzalez stated that the ship was “excited for the chance to hitch seventh Fleet” and that the crew “educated diligently over the previous few years in preparation for this transition.”
When requested why the Navy did not identify each Gonzales and Zang within the public message launched Saturday, a Navy spokesperson stated that the service solely “releases the names of commanding officers who’ve been relieved.”
Cmdr. Jacqueline Pau, a spokeswoman for the Navy, instructed Navy Instances that the service will solely affirm firings of govt officers and command grasp chiefs when requested.
Nevertheless, simply within the final 12 months, the Navy did announce the firing of the highest two officers of its Naval Justice College in Could and a destroyer commander and command grasp chief in June.
The Navy stated that Cmdr. Matthew Hays has taken over for Gonzales as John Finn’s commanding officer however didn’t supply any info on who would substitute Zang.
In her assertion, Sims stated that “the removing of the commanding officer and govt officer is an administrative motion,” earlier than including that “it could be inappropriate to debate potential future actions right now.”
— Konstantin Toropin may be reached at konstantin.toropin@army.com. Comply with him on Twitter @ktoropin.
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