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 Linda Thomas
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USS_Stennis.jpg
Rear Admiral Charles Gaouette has been removed of duty aboard the USS Stennis and sent back to the ship's Bremerton homeport pending an investigation into his "leadership judgement." (AP file photo)

Navy Admiral kicked off his ship, sent back to Bremerton. Why?

October 29, 2012 @ 8:48 am (Updated: 1:37 pm - 10/29/12 )

A man who climbed the Navy's ranks over a long career has been unceremoniously removed as commander of the USS Stennis Carrier Strike Group and sent back to the homeport in Bremerton.

A U.S. Navy spokesperson is not giving an explanation for the change, other than to say that questions had arisen about Rear Admiral Charles Gaouette's "leadership judgment."

He will remain in Bremerton, awaiting the outcome of the internal investigation.

NavyTimes.com reports that, "Vice Admiral John Miller, commander Naval Forces Central Command, made the decision to reassign the commander of Carrier Strike Group 3, even though it's deployed to the Middle East."

NBC News interviewed Neal Zerbe, a retired Navy Captain, who says, "The particular commander being relieved, and you know translating that to just moving him back to a continental U.S. base while the investigation continues, is unlike anything I've ever seen before."

The Stennis group deployed from Bremerton in late August and had entered the Navy 5th Fleet's area of operations in the Middle East on October 17.

It deployed four months earlier than scheduled. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta visited the Stennis and its sailors in Bremerton shortly before they departed. He thanked them for accelerating their deployment on short notice.

By LINDA THOMAS

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Comments (14)


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  • Stevebo wrote...
    Sounds like all we have is speculation at this point.
    October 29, 2012 9:00 am
    Unless there are other stories out there. But this is news to me.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Paul Kersey wrote...
    why indeed
    October 29, 2012 9:05 am
    with so much news blocked by our secretive government and complicit media, all we can do is put pieces together and make educated guesses. Did it have to do with Benghazi? Navy Seals were among the sacrificed.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • londot wrote...
    Paul the key is "former"
    October 29, 2012 11:15 am
    They were not on an active assignment. The seals were former Seals big difference...they were doing contract work
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Paul Kersey wrote...
    yes, they are "former" Seals now
    October 29, 2012 12:06 pm
    as well as the "former" Ambassador. Disgracefully, the Coward-in-Chief watched them die and ordered the heroes to stand down. Perhaps this Admiral did not agree.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Cash wrote...
    OBAMA
    October 29, 2012 11:41 am
    I thought when Obama ran for his first term he promised a "Transparent" government; more transparent than any previous administration in the past... I guess not.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Fuego wrote...
    Unless your his neighbor...
    October 29, 2012 11:48 am
    we'll never know. The military as a whole don't divulge details about investigations of their own. Clearly something big is going down; you don't remove an Admiral from active fleet duties because he didn't put on a cover sheet on the TPS reports.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Kitsapbass wrote...
    It has nothing to do with Benghazi.
    October 29, 2012 2:53 pm
    It has more to do with certain ports that aren't family friendly...is probably the best way to put it.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • DesertRez wrote...
    Just ignore Cbrew
    October 29, 2012 3:15 pm
    That dude is lost in the sauce to put it lightly
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • DesertRez wrote...
    Huh
    October 30, 2012 9:50 am
    This story is developing right now. If true: the Admiral had a spec ops team ready to go into Libya and rescue the ambassador and was told to stand them down. He disregarded the order and his second in command relieved him of duty. I guess we will see what happens....
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • DesertRez wrote...
    Odd
    October 30, 2012 10:01 am
    That's really an odd coincidence. General Ham, Combatant Commander of Africa Command (AFRICOM), just now happens to be retiring. I'm sure it has nothing to do with Benghazi. In my opinion we have something bigger than watergate developing. I'll bet Obama is thanking God for Sandy to bury this story. http://www.washingtontimes.com/blog/robbins-report/2012/oct/29/general-center-benghazi-gate-controversy-retiring/
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • bobguerra wrote...
    hey wheres the beef?!?!
    October 30, 2012 5:47 pm
    this story sucks and you must like the brat who wrote it!
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • juandeveras wrote...
    Adm. Gaouette and Gen. Carter Ham both fired
    October 31, 2012 6:20 am
    Adm Gaouette and Gen Carter Ham, head of Africom, were both fired at the same time as they both had expressed the need to assist in Benghazi. We have two Marxists - Valerie Jarrett, who loves to tell men what to do, and Obama, who loves to have her tell him what to do, running the military.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
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