Coast Guard station commander relieved of duty - Navy News | News from Afghanistan & Iraq - Navy Times

Coast Guard station commander relieved of duty

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The commanding officer of the Coast Guard Air Station in Sacramento has been temporarily relieved of duty, the Coast Guard announced Tuesday, five months after several crewmen died in a collision between one of the station’s aircraft and a Marine Corps helicopter.

However, Rear Adm. Joseph Castillo said the decision to remove Capt. James O’Connor from his post was unrelated to the collision, which remains under investigation.

The Coast Guard’s 11th District headquarters in Alameda said in a statement that O’Connor was temporarily relieved of duty because of a loss of confidence by his superiors.

“Command of a Coast Guard unit is one of the most demanding assignments in the service, and it is essential that I have complete trust and confidence in anyone holding such a position,” Castillo said.

In October, seven Air Station Sacramento crewmen died when their aircraft collided with a Marine Corps helicopter off the coast of Southern California. Two Marines were also killed.

Air Station Sacramento operates four long-range HC-130 Hercules surveillance and transport aircraft. The station mainly conducts search and rescue missions.

O’Connor was reassigned to the Coast Guard’s 11th District staff in Alameda. The commandant of the Coast Guard in Washington is reviewing the matter and will make a final decision on O’Connor’s command status.

An attempt by The Associated Press to contact O’Connor at the 11th District headquarters Tuesday afternoon was unsuccessful. The call was forwarded to district spokesman Lt. Cmdr. Rick Foster, who said O’Connor was unavailable for comment.