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CO of Naval Support Activity Bahrain fired

The commanding officer of Naval Support Activity Bahrain was fired Monday about two weeks before the end of his tour due to a “loss of confidence” in his ability to command, Navy officials said.

The relief of Capt. John Schoeneck has “absolutely no correlation” to the renewed investigation into hazing and other misconduct at NSA Bahrain in 2006, said Lt. Brian Badura, a spokesman for Navy Region Europe, Africa, Southwest Asia.

Schoeneck is the 11th Navy CO to be fired in 2009.

Rear Adm. David Mercer, commander of the combined region, relieved Schoeneck on Nov. 23, just 13 days before the change of command ceremony that was scheduled for Dec.6.

Capt. Enrique Sadsad will assume command of NSA Bahrain on Dec. 6 as planned. In the meantime, Mercer tapped his own deputy, Capt. Fred Capria, to serve as acting head of the installation in Bahrain.

Schoeneck was temporarily reassigned to the Naval Forces Central Command staff in Bahrain pending “further personnel actions,” according to a Navy press release.

Mercer has temporarily replaced Schoeneck with the region’s deputy commander, Capt. Fred Capria. The permanent replacement will be Capt. Enrique Sadsad, who was previously scheduled to assume command at a ceremony on Dec. 6.

Badura declined to disclose the specific reason for the firing, citing privacy concerns.

“Rear Adm. Mercer reviewed the facts involved here and decided that it was in the best overall interests of … the Navy to relieve the CO now and not wait until his change of command,” Badura said.

Mercer does not plan to pursue further disciplinary action against Schoeneck, Badura said.

Schoeneck arrived at NSA Bahrain in November 2008 for a one-year, unaccompanied tour, Badura said.

Schoeneck, originally from Syracuse, N.Y., was commissioned in 1985 and was trained as a helicopter pilot. In 2002, he was commanding officer of Helicopter Antisubmarine Squadron 11.

Misconduct that occurred in a security unit at NSA Bahrain received renewed attention earlier this year after widespread news reports of a command investigation into hazing, patronizing prostitutes, gambling and the anti-gay treatment of one master-at-arms assigned to the dog-handling unit.

Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Gary Roughead in September ordered a fresh review of the Bahrain canine unit and the 2007 command investigation that confirmed widespread misconduct but did not result in significant disciplinary actions.

In October, the Navy announced that the chief in charge of the security unit, Senior Chief Master-at-Arms Michael Toussaint, 38, will be forced into retirement in January. Toussaint was removed from his post as a dog handler with a SEAL unit and placed on desk duty.