USS John S. McCain’s CO, XO relieved of duties

The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer’s commanding officer and executive officer were relieved of their duties Wednesday, following its collision with a merchant vessel on Aug. 21, which claimed the lives of 10 Navy sailors.    The USS John S. McCain’s (DDG 56) commanding officer, Cmdr. Alfredo J. Sanchez, and executive officer, Cmdr. Jessie L. Sanchez, have been relieved of their duties Wednesday by Vice Adm. Phil Sawyer, Commander, Seventh Fleet.
   “Both were relieved due to a loss of confidence,” the U.S. 7th Fleet said.
   Cmdr. A. Sanchez was reassigned to Commander, Naval Forces Japan; and Cmdr. J. Sanchez was reassigned to Ship Repair Facility Yokosuka.
   In addition, Cmdr. Ed Angelinas, former commanding officer of USS McCampbell (DDG 85), assumed duties as acting commanding officer; and Lt. Cmdr. Ray Ball, chief engineer of USS Antietam (CG 54), will assume duties as acting executive officer.
   The USS John S. McCain, an Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer, was involved in a collision with the Alnic MC – a Liberian-flagged, 600-foot oil and chemical tanker with a gross tonnage of 30,000 – on Aug. 21 while underway east of the Straits of Malacca and Singapore.
   Upon colliding with the Alnic MC, the USS John S. McCain sustained damage to her port side aft. The USS John McCain is 505 feet long and weighs less than 9,000 tons with a full crew.
   The incident claimed the lives of 10 sailors aboard the Navy ship, injured five more, and damaged both ships. An on-base memorial for the sailors was held in Yokosuka last week.
   “While the investigation is ongoing, it is evident the collision was preventable, the commanding officer exercised poor judgement, and the executive officer exercised poor leadership of the ship’s training program,” the 7th Fleet said.
   The USS John S. McCain will be repaired at the U.S. Naval Ship Repair Facility-Japan Regional Maintenance Center in Yokosuka. Repairs will begin this month after the vessel arrives from Singapore aboard a heavy lift vessel.
   The repairs will cost approximately $223 million and will take about a year, according to a Navy cost estimate obtained by USNI News.