Norfolk Naval Shipyard CO fired - Navy News | News from Afghanistan & Iraq - Navy Times

Norfolk Naval Shipyard CO fired

The commanding officer of Norfolk Naval Shipyard has been temporarily removed from command while a formal investigation into the command environment at the yard is completed, Navy officials said.

Capt. Greg Thomas, who has commanded the Portsmouth, Va., shipyard since September 2010, was assigned to temporary duty at Naval Sea Systems Command in Washington, D.C., pending the outcome of the investigation, being conducted by the Naval Inspector General, according to NAVSEA spokeswoman Pat Dolan. She described Thomas as being “temporarily reassigned.”

A Navy statement said only that the investigation involved the command environment. NAVSEA spokesman Christopher Johnson later elaborated, saying the IG will be reviewing issues “across the entire command, not just for leadership.” He said he couldn’t provide more detail “in order to preserve the integrity of the investigation.”

“The IG is looking at everything,” Johnson said.

Rear Adm. Joseph Campbell, a former shipyard commander who had been working as head of the NAVSEA directorate for logistics, maintenance and industrial operations, reported Monday morning as the acting shipyard commander until the investigation is complete, Dolan said.

Thomas was nominated for promotion to rear admiral on March 26, 2010. He is the 11th commanding officer fired so far this year.

NNSY also went through an abrupt leadership change last year. Capt. William Kiestler was fired June 30, 2010.

The stated reason for the firing was a loss of confidence in Kiestler’s ability to command, Dolan said at the time. The loss of confidence was related to “failure to ensure critical maintenance work was being performed according to procedure and loss of situational awareness with respect to the status of ongoing submarine projects.”

Like Thomas, Kiestler had been in command for less than a year, taking charge in July 2009.