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| Navy officer fired amid fallout from U.S. sailors' seized by Iran |
| 2016-05-14 |
| The head of a riverine squadron at the center of an international incident in January was fired Thursday, the first officer to be publicly disciplined for errors that led to 10 sailors being captured by Iran after getting lost in the Persian Gulf — a debacle that nearly scuttled the U.S.-Iran nuclear deal at the 11th hour. Cmdr. Eric Rasch, who at the time of the Jan. 12 incident was the executive officer of the Coastal Riverine Squadron 3, was removed from his job by Capt. Gary Leigh, head of Coastal Riverine Group 1, for what a Navy Expeditionary Combat Command release said was “a loss of confidence” in his ability to remain in command. Cmdr. Gregory Meyer, who was commanding officer at the time of the incident, is currently with Coastal Riverine Group 1, and has been put on “administrative hold,” meaning the Navy will not transfer him out of the unit, while a high-level review of the Navy’s investigation into the incident continues, said two officials familiar with internal deliberations. The move is the first in what sources expect to be a series of disciplinary measures for what was a high-profile embarrassment for the U.S. Navy. The 10 riverines were captured and their high-speed special mission boats were seized when they drifted into Iranian waters around Farsi Island, a remote Iranian military outpost in the middle of the Persian Gulf. During their 16 hour detention, one of the U.S. sailors appeared to apologize while being videotaped, which became part of the flurry of Iranian propaganda publicized in the wake of the arrests. The investigation is still under review and is expected to be released by the end of May, said two Navy officials. Navy officials believe that a navigational error, along with some baffling errors in judgment on the part of the crew, led to their capture. Officials have suggested that the crew may have been taking an unauthorized shortcut through Iranian waters to meet up with a U.S. Coast Guard vessel for refueling. Rasch has been reassigned temporarily to Riverine Group 1. Capt. Stanfield Chien has assumed command of Riverine Squadron 3 until a replacement is named. There are about 400 sailors in CRS-3. |
| Posted by:Pappy |
| #2 "I am amazed that China, Russia, Iran, et al. hasn't done more with the opportunities These puerile incompetents have given them." Just you wait... |
| Posted by: newc 2016-05-14 13:36 |
| #1 And so it goes. We are going to take 20+ years to repair the damage the O admin has done to this country. Unfortunately, We don't have 20+ years. I am amazed that China, Russia, Iran, et al. hasn't done more with the opportunities These puerile incompetents have given them. |
| Posted by: Nguard 2016-05-14 00:46 |