3 commanding officers fired in one week

[unhappycamper]

3 commanding officers fired in one week
Times staff
Posted : Monday May 12, 2008 9:39:37 EDT

One Japan-based carrier air wing skipper and two Hampton Roads, Va.-area commanding officers were fired the week of May 4 due to “loss of confidence” in their ability to command.

On May 5, Cmdr. Raymond B. Worthington was relieved of duty as commanding officer of Strike Fighter Squadron 143, an F/A-18 Super Hornet squadron. Four days later, Capt. Kenneth J. Schwingshakl, commanding officer of the Maritime Civil Affairs Group, was relieved. Also on May 9, Capt. Michael P. McNellis, commander of the Japan-based Carrier Air Wing 5, was sacked.

McNellis commanded the air wing aboard the aircraft carrier Kitty Hawk. He was relieved by Rear Adm. Richard Wren, commander of Task Force 70, during a nonjudicial proceeding, according to a news release. McNellis was replaced by Capt. Michael White, the wing's former deputy commander. The news release did not give a reason for the relief.

Rear Adm. Mike Tillotson, commander of Navy Expeditionary Combat Command, relieved Schwingshakl after an internal investigation concluded he had “misused his command authority,” said Lt. Cmdr. Leslie Hull-Ryde, a spokeswoman for NECC.

Schwingshakl was temporarily reassigned to NECC.


Rest of article at: http://www.navytimes.com/news/2008/05/navy_skippers_051108w/