The collision of the USS John S. McCain with a cargo ship near Singapore last week and a similar event involving another 7th Fleet destroyer near Japan two months earlier are more than unfortunate accidents.
Rather, they highlight fundamental problems facing today’s US Navy.
Investigators will figure out what happened. Informed commentators are citing everything from electronic spoofing to human errors caused by overwork, lack of sleep, inadequate training, and even sailors being afraid to talk to the ship’s captain.
Such incidents nearly always turns out to be some combination of human errors.
That the collisions occurred while both destroyers were conducting basic maneuvers — put simply, driving the ship while trying not to run into other ships — suggests inadequate training and preparation, beside any issues of poor supervision on the ship’s bridge.
Generally, in the military, the more time you spend training, the better you can do something.
However, the US Navy has shrunk from nearly 600 ships to around 275 vessels over the last 30 years, while its worldwide missions have increased.
And in the Asia-Pacific region operations have increased markedly to meet threats posed by an aggressive China seeking to displace the US in the region, and a blustering North Korea that’s able to strike Japan and, before long, the United States.
As a result, naval forces of the US 7th Fleet based in Japan are busier than ever.
They also don’t have that many ships — roughly 50 vessels and submarines of different types to cover an area stretching from Japan to India. And some of these ships are in port at any given time, further stressing those at sea.
A high “operation-tempo” wears down sailors and ships over time. And one instinctively suspects that training is being shortchanged to meet operational requirements of putting ships to sea.
Assigning blame
The USS John S. McCain’s skipper will likely be relieved, and in an unprecedented move, the 7th Fleet Commander has already been removed after four accidents under his watch this year.
This is Navy custom, but it might look further upwards when assigning blame to include the Chief of Naval Operations.
The current dilemma of too many missions, not enough ships and sailors, and not enough time to train properly has been well known for a long time — despite denials and declarations that the US Navy is the world’s strongest.
Stiff-lipped promises by US Navy brass to do more with less invariably means doing less with less and often not very well.
Stiff-lipped promises by US Navy brass to do more with less invariably means doing less with less and often not very well.
While the decline started back in the Clinton era and continued through the Bush years, it was institutionalized during the Obama Administration.
This was typified by Navy Secretary, Ray Mabus. He was seemingly more interested in foisting the Obama Administration’s progressive social experiments on the US Navy than in ensuring the force had the ships, personnel, and money needed to accomplish its mission. Fighting wars was an afterthought, if that.
Mabus’s efforts to introduce expensive “green fuels,” repealing “don’t ask don’t tell,” expunging the word “man” from naval ratings, and naming ships after social activists who had nothing to do with the Navy, were misplaced and distracting.
He’d have done better to ensure the Navy was spending enough time on training for basics in navigation, ship handling, collision avoidance, emergency drills, bridge operations — and not surrendering well armed US Navy patrol boats to Iranians.
In this sort of environment, a certain type of officer recognizes what’s rewarded and is glad to play along to get ahead. The Navy seemed to have more than its share of corporate yes-man types who play well with the DC crowd.
Officer types
There were exceptions (and still are). Admiral Robert Willard, the PACOM commander from 2009-2012 saw the Navy’s sole mission as being able to defeat the nation’s enemies.
He was also considered a dangerous lunatic by the Obama Administration and even within parts of the Department of Defence. Admirals Chester Nimitz, Raymond A. Spruance, and William (Bull) Halsey would have disagreed.
Fortunately, there’s still plenty of such types in the ranks, even if they have mostly been laying low. Give them some breathing room and good things will happen.
The investigation into what happened with the USS John McCain will run its course and more likely than not will reveal human errors. Most of these will track back to “inadequate training” and that’s always a function of inadequate leadership.
Training requires time and focus. To have the time and focus, the Navy needs more ships and more sailors. It also needs to prioritize naval skills over social experimentation.
The Trump Administration has its chance to reverse a 30-year decline in US naval capabilities.
It dithered in appointing a new Navy Secretary and rejected a good candidate, Congressman Randy Forbes, owing to political pettiness. It’s been eight months since the inauguration and the grace period is over.
The collisions of the USS Fitzgerald off Japan and USS John S. McCain near Singapore cost the lives of 17 sailors — a grim reminder that the Administration needs to hurry.
Grant Newsham is a retired US Marine Officer and a Senior Research Fellow at the Japan Forum for Strategic Studies.
The captain of the ship has a job that runs 16-20 hours per day. When the ship is at sea, the captain shall not rest. Port is when the captain rests. Until then his sleep is short and his responsibility is large
Too many youngsters at the helm of expensive ships. These officers need to review their work ethics. Coffee is cheap. Holes in your hull cost lives and leave us unprotected.
Any military unit is only as good as it’s leaders Off & on I served from Viet to 1st desert storm, in all 3 sevices, seen it all. Sadly quality of command is not what it was.
booze?
These are Navy combat ships. They are the Elite. There are underlying problems that are not "training" related. The fact that there are as many men on these ships as the USS Constitution, a Navy ship from the war of 1812 is a starting place to look. The entire Navy needs to be reviewed and revamped.
I’m working on this study. What I got out of this article is that all the problems are related to being Obama’s fault. He is the reason a Navy fighting ship can’t stay out of the way of a container ship. Imagine if they had to fight the ship.
The truth is these are motivated Navy Sailors and Officers. time to change the Navy so it works for them and they can proceed with safety.
Spouting off generalizations about a generation and the current service is vague and uneducated. "We actually needed to be at sea for most training and running drills. I believe the author."
Well, much of the article focuses on how the 7th Fleet is spending so much time at sea, receiving forced on-the-job-training
How can you agree with the author they’re not receiving enough training? Perhaps more pertinent training would be better than more training? Finally, there is no way to eliminate human errors while humans are involved. You can reduce them, avoid them, or accept them but mistakes, especially exposure to new, unpredictable events, can’t be eliminated (i.e. risk assessment).
Today’s personnel have different challenges and different leadership, but their spirit, courage, and motivation to serve are inspirational. Don’t knock the generation, when you know how tough it can be.
I’m ex navy. I know that 20 out of my 90 hour work week was training. That was in port! Early 80s, we didn’t cut anything and still did 4 deployments in 4.5 years. We actually needed to be at sea for most training and running drills. I believe the author. Today’s personnel are not made to perform like we were.
You have fallen off the mechanical bull a few too many times. When did the media (with all its false narratives and over hyped egos) pass legislation and support the military? The lack of leadership in our government at all levels is to blame (coz it’s plan obvious).
Wong you are so wrong.
The author having served is much more in tune with the reality of service than you. To blame drugs with no evidence is very lame.
Oh and 3R is for reading, writing, arithmetic. Something they obviously didn’t include in your curriculum.
Aye, aye SIR ! FULLY AGREE !
The over-reliance on technology at the expense of "eyes-on" surveillance may have started here: http://www.navy.mil/submit/display.asp?story_id=10511
Good to see some folks can see the wood for the trees.
Last I read, South Korea is chock a block full of nuclear power stations, it doesnt take Einstien to work out the devastation of NON nuclear artillery would cause. Forget about nuclear missiles, that’s simply a diversion.
The nuclear power stations will do an admirable job of wiping S.K. off the map, should they feel suicidal, and again invade the North.
Could it also be an over reliance on technology in addition to lack of training? Back in the Sixties, the Navy got its as handed to them in a bread basket because Command Staff thought missile technology would negate the need for pilots skill in dogfighting. The result of that miscalculation was the formation of Topgun, and once again training turned the tide in favor of naval avaiators.
The pretty colors and blinking lights of high technology, coupled with a lack of basic seamanship and training has resulted in the loss of two ships critical to the Navy’s mission in the SCS, and the loss of 17 Sailors.
This tragedy should be a wake up call to Navy Flag Officers who sit in Command and come to the realization that the only way you will ever be able to sail a fast ship in harms way, is if you have the men and the training to do so. Technology should be considered as asset, not a replacement nor a panacea for those who spend their lives on the sea.
I was hoping for an analysis of the accident. This should have probably been in the opinion section.
Training is a issue—————-there is something going on here——–lets make excuses for the Politically Correct Military ————–that does not seem to do much training. Has this author forgot about the plane that crashed in Mississippi with 16 highly trained Special Forces on board. When the freight was being loaded onto the plane it was not properly secured and BINGO a plane drops out of the sky!———I bet TRAINING is something that we used to do just like the education system in America———the 3 R’s not so important BUT being a boy dressed like a girl——–so so important!!
In other words, the chain of command has become a chain of human errors…..
Good luck, world: those guys have around 7000 nukes
Watch out US Navy… The 5 trillion dollar of annual cargo shipment have your number.