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Tortuga CO, XO fired

SAN DIEGO — The top two officers of the Japan-based dock landing ship Tortuga were fired Thursday, according to a Navy statement.

Commanding officer Cmdr. John Zuhowski was fired by Rear Adm. Richard Landolt, commander of Amphibious Force 7th Fleet, because of “a loss of confidence in his ability to command,” the statement said. Landolt also fired Zuhowski’s executive officer, Lt. Cmdr. Dennis Burke, the statement said, but no specific reason was provided for his relief.

“These actions are administrative in nature, not punitive,” the statement said. Both officers were relieved “based on their professional performance,” Lt. Denver Applehans, the Task Force 76 spokesman in Okinawa, Japan, said by telephone. “There was not any misconduct.”

Capt. Mark Weber, the deputy commodore of Amphibious Squadron 11 since August, has temporarily taken command of the Whidbey Island-class amphib, officials said. Weber’s assignments include command of dock landing ship Fort McHenry from 2003 to 2005.

Lt. Cmdr. Jeff Grant, who has been serving on the Task Force 76 command staff, has been temporarily assigned as Tortuga’s XO.

Zuhowski and Burke are being temporarily reassigned within Fleet Activities Sasebo, Applehans said. Zuhowski, a 1991 graduate of the Naval Academy, had commanded Tortuga for 10 months. He has commanded the patrol craft Shamal and served as executive officer of the dock landing ship Ashland.

Burke, who enlisted in the Navy in 1984, commanded the patrol crafts Tornado, Chinook, Typhoon and Whirlwind.