Report: Navy hospital ship Comfort was plagued by poor leadership

​NORFOLK, Va. — Investigators have concluded that a Navy hospital ship designed to perform humanitarian missions and build goodwill for the U.S. abroad was plagued by leadership problems for years before it set off to Latin America last spring with a brand-new commanding officer.

Capt. Christine Sears was brought in to replace Haltner days before the hospital ship Comfort sailed away from Norfolk to treat more than 122,000 patients in 11 countries during Operation Continuing Promise.

Haltner had been the commanding officer since August 2013, when her predecessor was removed for poor leadership.

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