Navy relieves cruiser's commanding officer in center of deployment

The Navy has relieved the commanding officer of the guided-missile cruiser Normandy in the course of the ship’s deployment, the service introduced.  

Capt. Simon McKeon was relieved on Tuesday “because of a lack of confidence in his means to command,” lower than eight months after he took management of the Normandy, in response to a transient Navy press launch. 

The announcement didn’t supply the explanation for his dismissal, solely including that McKeon was quickly moved to the employees of the commander for Naval Floor Power Atlantic. 

A Navy official instructed USNI Information, which first reported the dismissal, that McKeon’s firing was a results of private misconduct. 

However U.S. 2nd Fleet spokeswoman Cmdr. Lara Bollinger instructed The Hill on Wednesday that the Navy couldn’t present additional particulars, citing an ongoing investigation round McKeon. 

“When a superior in command loses confidence in a triad member to successfully carry out their duties, it’s their obligation to alleviate that member of their management place,” Bollinger added. 

McKeon took command of Normandy in March and the warship early final month left its base of Norfolk, Va., for the Atlantic Ocean as a part of the Gerald R. Ford Service Strike Group. 

Previous to that, McKeon had commanded the destroyer USS Curtis Wilbur in Japan, in response to his Navy biography. 

Capt. Gary Chase will function Normandy’s non permanent commanding officer, and the change won’t influence the ship’s mission or schedule, the Navy mentioned.