Navy relieves captain of carrier that hit merchant vessel
Rear Adm. Sean Bailey, commander of Carrier Strike Group 8, relieved Capt. Dave Snowden on Feb. 20 due to a “loss of confidence in his ability to command,” according to a Navy statement.
Exterior damage of USS Harry S. Truman (CVN-75) viewed from a ship’s rigid-hull inflatable boat following a collision with merchant vessel Besiktas-M, Feb. 12. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Cody Beam)
WASHINGTON — The captain in command of the US Navy aircraft carrier that collided with a merchant vessel near an Egyptian port last week has been relieved by the head of his carrier strike group, the service announced today.
Rear Adm. Sean Bailey, commander of Carrier Strike Group 8, relieved Capt. Dave Snowden on Feb. 20 due to a “loss of confidence in his ability to command,” according to the statement. The Navy rarely divulges specific reasons why commanders are relieved, opting instead to use the phrase “loss of confidence” as a catchall explanation. But in this instance, the service directly attributed Snowden’s firing to last week’s collision.
“The relief occurred after Truman was involved in a collision with the merchant vessel Besiktas-M on Feb. 12, while operating in the Mediterranean Sea in the vicinity of Port Said, Egypt,” according to the statement. “The U.S. Navy holds commanding officers to the highest standard and takes action to hold them accountable when those standards are not met. Naval leaders are entrusted with significant responsibilities to their Sailors and their ships.”
Snowden will be temporarily re-assigned to Naval Air Forces Atlantic. Capt. Christopher Hill, commander of the aircraft carrier Dwight D. Eisenhower, will temporarily serve as Truman’s commander, according to the statement. The Truman reportedly pulled into port for repairs associated with the collision, and the Navy said Snowden’s relief will have no impact on the ship’s schedule.
