Report: Lax leadership led to Hormuz collision

[unhappycamper]

‘Weak’ command blamed
Sub, amphib heavily damaged in March


Report: Lax leadership led to Hormuz collision
By Andrew Scutro - Staff writer
Posted : Sunday Nov 15, 2009 8:41:25 EST

The navigator was listening to his iPod during a critical evolution.

Watchstanders were known to sleep on the job.

Stereo speakers were rigged for music in the radio room.

An informal atmosphere — along with crew complacency, a “weak” command and inferior submariner skills — are named as contributors to the March 20 collision between the attack submarine Hartford and the amphibious transport dock New Orleans in the Strait of Hormuz.

And according to a heavily redacted 102-page Judge Advocate General Manual investigation obtained by Navy Times through a Freedom of Information Act request, what turned into a major embarrassment for the submarine fleet was entirely “avoidable.”


Rest of article at: http://www.navytimes.com/news/2009/11/navy_hartford_111509w/