The command master chief of a west coast amphibious warfare unit was fired Tuesday.

Master Chief Robert A. Battle was relieved as senior enlisted leader of California-based Naval Beach Group 1 “due to misconduct identified in an ongoing command investigation,” according to Naval Surface Force Pacific spokesman Lt. Andrew Degarmo.

Degarmo declined to specify what alleged misconduct triggered Battle’s relief but said it “resulted in a loss of confidence in Battle’s ability to perform the duties of a command master chief.”

Battle began serving as the command master chief in May, according to his official biography.

Before his downfall, Battle served as the principle adviser to the group’s commodore on all issues involving enlisted personnel at Assault Craft Unit 1, Amphibious Construction Battalion 1, Assault Craft Unit 5, Beachmaster Unit 1 and Naval Beach Unit 7 in Sasebo, Japan. according to the Navy.

Battle has been temporarily reassigned to Expeditionary Strike Group 3 in San Diego.

The strike group’s senior enlisted leader, Command Master Chief Kenneth Robertson, has been named as Battle’s temporary relief.

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A Chicago native, Battle enlisted in 1996, according to his biography.

He made master chief in 2015 and served aboard the guided-missile destroyer Howard before joining Naval Beach Group 1, according to his service record.

Battle neither returned telephone messages placed by Navy Times nor responded to a request for comment sent through a Navy spokesman.

Geoff is the editor of Navy Times, but he still loves writing stories. He covered Iraq and Afghanistan extensively and was a reporter at the Chicago Tribune. He welcomes any and all kinds of tips at geoffz@militarytimes.com.

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