CO, command master chief of destroyer Bulkeley relieved

The commanding officer and command master chief of the destroyer Bulkeley were relieved of their duties Friday.

Cmdr. Devine Johnson and Command Master Chief Earl Sanders were relieved by Capt. Stefan Walch, commodore of Destroyer Squadron 2, due to a “loss of confidence” in their leadership abilities. No additional details were provided.

Capt. William “Mac” Harkin, deputy commodore of Destroyer Squadron 2, will temporarily oversee commanding officer duties until a replacement is found. Johnson became the ship’s commanding officer in July 2020.

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Master Chief Petty Officer Christy Reed of Destroyer Squadron 2 is slated to temporarily replace Sanders, who became the command master chief of the destroyer in June 2021.

“Johnson and Sanders will be temporarily reassigned to the staff of Commander, Naval Surface Force Atlantic,” the Navy said in a statement Saturday. “There is no impact to the command’s mission or schedule due to this relief.”

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