Lawyer: Graf inherited a bad wardroom - Navy News | News from Afghanistan & Iraq - Navy Times

Lawyer: Graf inherited a bad wardroom

The civilian attorney for a cruiser skipper fired for cruelty and mistreatment of her crew told a board of inquiry in his opening statement Tuesday that his client had been the victim of a sexist and vengeful wardroom of incompetent officers and an inspector general’s investigation with a foregone conclusion.

Charles Gittins told a panel of three rear admirals at the Washington Navy Yard that Capt. Holly Graf inherited the “worst ship on the waterfront” and a wardroom that was “largely incompetent.” He said that under her command, the cruiser Cowpens was transformed into one of the best ships in the Pacific Fleet. He argued that Graf’s leadership style was stern, but that it was poorly received by men.

“She was direct and harsh towards men, and they weren’t used to it,” he said.

The panel will hear the case and recommend whether to allow Graf to continue her service; it could also make a recommendation whether she should be allowed to retire at her current paygrade. Navy Secretary Ray Mabus will have the final say in the decision.

Graf was relieved of command after she was found to have berated, belittled and assaulted her subordinates, failed to qualify her junior officers and refused to speak to people she was mad at for days to weeks at a time, according to a Navy inspector general’s report.

Gittins argued that Rear Adm. Kevin Donegan, who presided over Graf’s admiral’s mast, had not detached Graf for cause as a result of the IG investigation, but that the scheduled change of command was merely moved up a few days. Graf was near the end of her command when she went to mast and her relief was already on board Cowpens at the time.

Gittins said Donegan would testify later in the week that Graf should be retained.

Gittins, a retired Marine lieutenant colonel, also questioned the legitimacy of the investigation, arguing that investigators had asked leading questions of witnesses and had a preconceived outcome in mind.

He also pointed to what he called the sexist use of the term “screaming” throughout the IG report, a term he said that seemed to apply only to women who raise their voice and not men.

Cmdr. James Link, who made the opening statement for the government, gave multiple examples of Graf’s erratic behavior as commanding officer of Cowpens, including putting one master chief in “time out” while in the ship’s combat information center.

Link said that all of Graf’s former executive officers would be called to testify, including one who he said equated serving under Graf to chemotherapy, treatment for cancer the officer had recently undergone.

Gittins said Graf’s crew had high morale. While he acknowledged they did not like that she was “a yeller,” they were generally well-treated.

“She was tough on the khakis but good to the troops,” Gittins said.

The proceedings recessed shortly after 10 a.m. to allow the panel — Rear Adms. Gretchen Herbert, James McManamon and presiding officer Mark Buzby — to review documents presented by the government and Graf’s attorneys.