Navy punishes leadership of USS Fitzgerald following deadly collision

From my service with Gator Navy afloat I found that USN is very big on accountability. The Skipper is held on a high plain with regard to authority. In return a CO is ultimately responsible for everything that happens on his/her ship. We have been witnessing a lot more CO's in all services being relieved, and often with no public explanation why. Besides the MCRD problems, the USMC has been firing CO's at a steady clip over the last several years. It is usually stated that their boss has lost confidence in their ability to effectively lead their Command. I doubt we will ever know the whole story about this mishap that led to the tragic loss of life. Much of it may be classified for security reasons and to safeguard against future attacks. At face value it was evident that someone was asleep on their watch for lack of a better term. I read another story yesterday that said the Captain was holding on to the side of the ship when he was rescued.

Its standard Navy policy since day one. Its called "The Burden Of Command." The only time it was relaxed was during WW2. No matter who's fault, a running aground, crash, etc, results in the Captain going away. What purpose does it serve? Hard to say. Probably to make sure that only those that absolutely wish to be "Captains" become Captains.

It's already been stated that the CO is responsible for anything that happens on his ship. There had to be a lot of negligence to go around from everyone on the bridge to most everyone in CIC. They were all asleep at the wheel. This is a perfect example of people getting killed because someone didn't do their job. It's even more critical on the flight deck of a carrier. The only people on watch that night who could not have any part in the "mishap" were the engineers. But I have to send a big BZ to those sailors who responded after the collision. It was their training and actions that saved the ship from sinking. All that training and drills paid off big time. They deserve commendation.