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Hampton skipper fired amid investigation

SAN DIEGO — The commander of the fast-attack submarine Hampton was fired Thursday for what officials said was a “loss of confidence in his ability to command.” The relief comes amid reports that crew members skipped necessary chemical tests on the boat’s nuclear reactor and then forged the records to make it look as though those tests were completed.

Cmdr. Michael Portland was relieved by Capt. Paul Jaenichen, commodore of Submarine Squadron 11 at Naval Submarine Base Point Loma, Calif., said Lt. Alli Myrick, a squadron spokeswoman.

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Portland’s official bio

Portland has been temporarily reassigned to Submarine Squadron 11, Myrick said, along with one officer and two enlisted crew members. Their names and job titles were not released.

The actions are in addition to previous administrative punishment levied against one other officer and five enlisted crew members. No details were provided.

“These actions are part of a continuing investigation of issues discovered on Hampton during a routine review of operations,” a squadron statement said. “Hampton’s operations were conducted safely but fell short of high Navy standards.”

Portland’s firing was just one month shy of a scheduled change of command, the statement said. Cmdr. William Houston, who had been slated to take command of the Hampton in November, is now the boat’s CO.

A standard post-deployment inspection revealed problems aboard Hampton that officials characterized as impacting operations, record keeping, training and qualifications. Jaenichen ordered a wide-ranging investigation under the Judge Advocate General’s Manual into the submarine and crew, which is continuing, officials said.

But the Los Angeles-class submarine remains docked at Point Loma and “will not conduct operations until the Navy has confirmed that those high Navy standards are met,” the statement said.

Navy officials, citing the ongoing investigation, provided no details about the specific failures by Hampton’s crew.

But sources told Navy Times that crew members had skirted required checks and testing of water in the submarine’s reactor plant. One source said preparations for an Operational Reactor Safeguard Examination found that checks of the system’s water quality — which are typically performed daily — hadn’t been done in at least a month, even as the Hampton was crossing the Pacific on its way home to Point Loma. The review also found that the logs tracking the daily checks were doctored to make it look as though the sailors had been doing the required checks regularly.

Five weeks ago, Portland led Hampton and his crew to their new home port at Point Loma to wrap up a seven-month overseas deployment and permanent move from their previous home in Norfolk, Va.

Portland, a native of Ottawa, Ontario, who received his commission in 1987, took command of the Hampton on Aug. 3, 2005.

His previous assignments include executive officer of submarine Parche, combat systems officer aboard the Hampton and engineer officer aboard the Sturgeon-class submarine Spadefish. During his first tour aboard the ballistic-missile submarine Ohio, he served as the chemistry and radiological controls assistant and damage control assistant, according to his official command biography.