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CO of nuclear weapons facility fired

The commanding officer of the Navy’s nuclear weapons facility in Washington was fired Friday for a loss of confidence in his ability to lead the unit, a Navy spokesman said.

Capt. Timothy Block was relieved as commander of Strategic Weapons Facility Pacific at Naval Base Kitsap, Wash. The weapons facility assembles and maintains one of the largest concentrations of nuclear weapons in the country, including nuclear-tipped Trident missiles.

Block was removed by Rear Adm. Stephen Johnson, director of Strategic Systems Programs. The admiral “lost confidence in Capt. Block’s ability to continue to lead SWFPac in execution of its mission,” said Cmdr. Cappy Surette, a Navy spokesman at the Pentagon.

Surette said the removal was not related to any underlying safety or security issues that would put the surrounding community at risk.

Block, who assumed command in July 2008, was temporarily replaced by Capt. Kevin Zumbar, who has been serving as the deputy director of Strategic Systems Programs, Surette said.

Block is the second commander of the weapons facility to be fired in recent years.

In December 2003, Capt. Keith Lyles was relieved of command at SWFPac.

At the time of Lyles’ removal, the admiral in charge also cited a “lack of confidence” as a reason.

Subsequent reports revealed that Lyle’s removal came shortly after a mishap involving damage to the nose cone of a Trident C-4 nuclear missile that was being unloaded from the guided-missile submarine Georgia.

The damage reportedly occurred after sailors left a ladder in one of the missile tubes. There was no release of radiation in that incident, Navy officials said.

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