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| -Short Attention Span Theater- |
| Ex-Constitution chief in hot water |
| 2007-09-06 |
| I was wondering what they dumped him for... The decorated ex-commander of the historic USS Constitution may be forced to walk the plank after a naval hearing today on charges he assaulted a sailor and forced him to lie in a report, in a scandal that could sink his career for good. Four months after he was fired, Thomas C. Graves, 43, of Marblehead will stand before the military equivalent of a grand jury, accused of assaulting a petty officer who, Graves’ lawyer said, failed to note in the ship’s morning report that a shipmate had been late. Graves faces charges of assault, cruelty and maltreatment, forcing someone to falsify a record and making a false statement. He is accused of having the petty officer “correct” the report and of denying that he hit the officer. The Navy lost confidence in his ability, so his career could be over,” Navy spokesman Mike Giannetti said. Graves’ lawyer, Charles Gittins, said, “The petty officer was incompetent and, in frustration, the captain handed the papers back to him,” allegedly hitting him in the chest with them. “In his mind, he didn’t hit the sailor.” Aye, aye, Mr. Queeg... But Giannetti said, “It’s my understanding there were witnesses.” Ooooops... If convicted of all charges at a general court-martial, he faces up to 11 years and six months in prison. In 2005, Graves assumed command of the 210-year-old national landmark, a job considered a plum position, given the ship’s role in the War of 1812, when it became known as “Old Ironsides” because British cannonballs were unable to penetrate its wooden hull. He was fired in May, two months before his two-year term was to expire, for what the Navy described at the time as an “administrative matter.” Commanders may be fired for many reasons, including failing to enforce safety rules and fostering a poor command climate. “Because of the significance of the Constitution, typically (a commander’s) record and performance would be heavily scrutinized before they were appointed,” Giannetti said. A 1987 U.S. Naval Academy graduate, Graves served as the engineering officer on the USS Underwood and the USS Philippine Sea and was promoted to commander in 2003. He has received several awards, including two Navy Achievement Medals and the Navy Meritorious Service Medal. In addition to the military lawyer the Navy has provided him, Graves hired Gittins, who has represented high-profile defendants in military courts-martial, including Lt. Ilario Pantano, a Marine accused of shooting unarmed Iraqi captives; Spc. Charles Graner, who was involved in the Abu Ghraib scandal; and Maj. Harry “Psycho” Schmidt, who bombarded a platoon of Canadians in Afghanistan after being told to hold his fire. Pantano was acquitted, and the charges against Schmidt were dropped. Harry "Psycho" Schmidt. He sounds like a fun guy... |
| Posted by:tu3031 |
| #6 Do not Fuck-Up in the Command of the most public ship in the Navy. Just plain stupid. |
| Posted by: Thomas Woof 2007-09-06 19:18 |
| #5 They can also fine him some of his pension. I knew a guy that happened to (although his offenses were way worse than what is mentioned here). BTW, strictly speaking CDR Graves was the Commanding Officer of the USS Constitution, not the "chief". |
| Posted by: Rambler 2007-09-06 17:25 |
| #4 Ooops, I take that back, he might just have made it over the time in service bar for retirement. At what pay grade he would retire, is another issue. |
| Posted by: lotp 2007-09-06 16:33 |
| #3 Just short of 20 years in service - there goes his pension. |
| Posted by: lotp 2007-09-06 16:32 |
| #2 “The petty officer was incompetent and, in frustration, the captain handed the papers back to him,” allegedly hitting him in the chest with them. Old Ironsides has certainly come a long way since the days of keelhauling and lashes. |
| Posted by: xbalanke 2007-09-06 16:14 |
| #1 Of course the proverbial - Ahh, but the strawberries that's... that's where I had them. They laughed at me and made jokes but I proved beyond the shadow of a doubt and with... geometric logic... that a duplicate key to the wardroom icebox DID exist, and I'd have produced that key if they hadn't of pulled the Caine out of action. I, I, I know now they were only trying to protect some fellow officers... |
| Posted by: Procopius2k 2007-09-06 13:09 |