Skipper on USS ENTERPRISE (CVN 65) Relieved of Command

My old command, the USS ENTERPRISE (CVN 65). This is pretty outrageous and this Skipper is "way out of control" as a Commander.

I saw a similar situation on this level--once and only once--with Marines in the desert, a LT COL, USMC. He was doing the same thing, but worse than this ENTERPRISE Skipper. I went to him respectfully requesting he cease and desist. He did not. I returned to him, advising him I was going to the Regimental COL and Division General. If that failed, I would go--I told him--to the Commandant. Needless to say, he was furious with me and continued his poor example. (Marines call it LBE, "Leadership by Example," which this LT COL was failing to do.)

I went to the Division General. The LT COL was relieved of his battalion. Word spread fast, "Don't piss off Chaplain Veitch."

Same thing will happen for the ENTERPRISE SKIPPER. CAPT Honors was "way over the top" and violated LBE. "Would you like your son or daughter to act and speak like CAPT Honor?" is a basic smell test 101 question.

The best CAPT Honor can hope for is an opportunity to resign quietly--which is what I expect. It's difficult to communicate the level of training, long training in long pipe lines, to become a carrier Skipper. There's only 11 such slots in the Navy. Aside from God, there is no one more powerful in the Navy than carrier Skippers...they get what they want, when they want, and about from anyone else they want. They are "shoe-ins" for Admiral after they finish a carrier command. This fellow, however, is guilty of "conduct unbecoming a Naval Officer" and he is toast.

We posted the clips below and also CINCLANTFLT'S public message, relieving CAPT Honors of his command of the mighty ENTERPRISE.



Tagging this to the above. Just in from CINCLANTFLT (for the non-military, this is an acronym for Commander-in-Chief, Atlantic Fleet, a 4-star position in command of all surface, submarine and air assets). This Admiral is truly 4-star in every way. CAPT Honor had to be derailed from further advancement. Compare the dignity and example of the 4-star with the lowly 06.



(Bizarre, the furniture in the XO's office is still the same as 15 years ago.)