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The US Navy has fired more than a dozen senior officers since the start of the year, including five in one week, without providing any compelling reason for the dismissals to the American public.
The Navy reported on Saturday that at least nine commanding officers and two senior advisers have been relieved of their duties since April and that four commanding officers and a top leader were ousted between June 8 and June 14.
The Navy said a total of 13 commanding officers have been fired so far this year, including 12 in the Navy and one in the Marine Corps.
“These reliefs are not related,” Navy spokeswoman Cmdr. Reann Mommsen told US-based military news outlet Task & Purpose.
“Leadership decided to relieve these commanding officers for several different reasons. Historically, from 2011 through 2022, an average of about 17 commanding officers have been relieved per year. (Note, this does not include 2022 numbers).”
It remained unclear what prompted the dismissals as the Navy did not elaborate on specific conditions leading to the firings, but it stressed the importance of “trust and confidence” across all levels of the chain of command.
“The US Navy has long maintained high standards for all its personnel. Those who fall short of these standards are held accountable,” said Lt. Cmdr. Devin Arneson, a Navy spokesperson, who added that such an action is “neither punitive nor disciplinary.”
The report comes as a cluster of suicides on the USS George Washington warship sparked widespread concerns over mental health crisis among American servicemen. At least five crew members died by suicide last year, angering some sailors and advocates who work to reduce military suicides.
