- Reaction score
- 0
- Points
- 360
This happened back in April.
Navy Times link
Frigate CO fired after hitting pier
By Lance M. Bacon - Staff writer
Posted : Thursday Jun 24, 2010 13:14:14 EDT
The skipper of the frigate John L. Hall was fired Tuesday morning for hitting a pier roughly one month after taking command.
Vice Adm. Harry Harris, 6th Fleet commander, relieved Cmdr. Herman Pfaeffle for loss of confidence in his ability to command, 6th Fleet spokesman Lt. Cmdr. Mark Walton told Navy Times.
There was no mast, and no injuries resulted from the April 16 incident, which occurred in Batumi, Georgia.
The incident happened during a port call held amid joint drills conducted with Ukrainian naval pilots and the Georgian coast guard in the Black Sea. Walton said the ship sustained some damage, but was able to continue with its mission.
“We take command seriously in the Navy,” Walton said. “This is unfortunate, but the commander felt there was a need for the change.”
Pfaeffle is the ninth skipper fired this year. He is the fourth surface commander and the first frigate skipper relieved in 2010.
The ship, with its crew of 17 officers and 198 sailors, is in Cape Verde off Africa’s western coast. Lt. Cmdr. Michael Brand, the ship’s executive officer, has temporarily assumed command until a replacement is assigned. Pfaeffle has been assigned administrative duties, Walton said.
Pfaeffle is a mustang from the submarine service who enlisted in 1983, according to his official bio. He entered the Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps through the Navy’s Broadened Opportunity for Officer Selection and Training Program and received his commission in 1993. He has served as a combat systems officer and twice as an executive officer.
John L. Hall is homeported in Mayport, Fla., and is on a scheduled deployment to 6th Fleet.