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5 COs fired in 5 weeks, and more may follow

The Navy’s recent troubled waters got even more turbulent May 11-16 as news got out of a destroyer grounding, a frigate apparently going dead in the water and a sub skipper being fired. The commanding-officer sacking was the fifth in as many weeks.

What’s more, the Coast Guard “temporarily reassigned” the CO of a 270-foot cutter after he was arrested on charges of assaulting a bartender in Key West, Fla.

The troubles began May 11, when the frigate Samuel B. Roberts was coming into port in Argentina after completing the annual UNITAS Atlantic exercise with other Navy and foreign ships. The Roberts experienced “engineering difficulties” and had to be pulled into port by tugboats, said Lt. Cmdr. Jon Spiers, a Naval Forces South spokesman. The frigate is commanded by Cmdr. Marc Weeks.

It’s unclear exactly what caused the frigate to apparently go dead in the water. Spiers would not comment on the specifics of the “engineering difficulties.” He did note that tugboats pulled the ship into port at Puerto Belgrano. There were no injuries onboard, he added.

Navy investigators are in Argentina assessing the ship’s condition and reviewing the incident.

A few days later, the guided-missile destroyer Arleigh Burke ran aground off the coast of Norfolk, Va. Cmdr. Herman Phillips, a 2nd Fleet spokesman, described it as a “soft grounding,” noting the ship was able to arrive in port May 15 under its own power. There was no apparent damage to the vessel, Phillips added.

Cmdr. E.J. McClure commands the Burke. Capt. Ralph “Larry” Tindal, commodore of Destroyer Squadron 2, was also onboard at the time of the grounding, according to the Navy.

The Norfolk grounding is especially odd given the well-charted waters. The Navy declined to provide specifics and is investigating.

The service reported no injuries.

In the fifth skipper dismissal in five weeks, the Navy announced May 16 that Cmdr. William A. Schwalm was relieved of command of the fast-attack submarine Helena.

Capt. Paul N. Jaenichen, commodore of San Diego-based Submarine Squadron 11 and Schwalm’s boss, said he had lost confidence in the commander’s ability to “maintain the Helena crew’s proficiency and level of readiness.”

Jaenichen assigned Cmdr. Daryl L. Caudle, his deputy at the submarine squadron, as the temporary commander of Helena until a permanent skipper is named. Caudle most recently had command of the fast-attack boat Jefferson City.

The latest firing comes on the heels of four others in the past month:

* The captain of an electronic warfare squadron, just nine days after he took command.

* The head of a major recruiting district.

* The commanding officer of a destroyer headed for the Persian Gulf.

* The commander of the historic ship USS Constitution, “Old Ironsides,” in Boston.

None of the firings was related to mishaps or operational errors.

The Navy has not released much information on the dismissals, but sources have suggested causes range from incompetence to fraternization to an allegation that a captain struck an enlisted crew member.

The Coast Guard reassignment is more straightforward, however. Cmdr. Michael Sabellico, skipper of the 270-foot medium-endurance cutter Escanaba, was arrested in Key West on May 15 after an apparent bar brawl.

According to the police report, Sabellico and several crew members were drinking at bars along the island’s famed Duval Street when they argued with a bartender at an Irish pub.

Sabellico and the crew members allegedly were loitering in an alley when the bartender at Irish Kevin’s asked them to leave. They left as requested, but according to the report, Sabellico returned and scuffled with the man. He then left the scene. Sabellico was apprehended later and charged with simple assault.

Sabellico remains the Escanaba’s skipper, but he was temporarily reassigned to the Coast Guard’s 1st District. Cmdr. Chris Austin has assumed temporary command of the cutter.

Staff writers Patricia Kime and Gidget Fuentes contributed to this report.

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5 COs fired in 5 weeks

Previous stories:

4 sacked in 4 weeks

Coastie skipper arrested after Key West bar brawl

Sub CO is latest in series of skipper firings

Arleigh Burke runs aground off Norfolk

Tugs tow Sammy B to port after exercise

Destroyer CO fired while on way to Persian Gulf

Skipper of historic ship Constitution fired

CO of cutter Alex Haley relieved of duty

New York-area recruiting commander relieved

Prowler CO relieved after 9 days in command