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| CDR Etta Jones |
Commander Etta "CJ" Jones, USS PONCE's CO was fired for "demonstrated poor leadership, and failure to appropriately investigate, report, and hold accountable Sailors found involved in hazing incidents. Additionally, she failed to properly handle a loaded weapon during a security alert which endangered some of her crew."
USS PONCE XO, LCDR Kurt Boenisch, was fired for "his failure to provide support to the command and commanding officer."
VADM Harris said, "When leadership fails in setting a proper example or upholding proper standards on his or her ship, they fail to serve our Sailors, our Navy and, ultimately, our nation."
ANCHOR UP OFFICERS!!!
ReplyDeleteNot sure if the method we are going about the firing in public is good for the service. It just seems wrong. Am sure the USAF and Army have a lot of firings as well but we don't read about it in the press like we do on Navy Times (with a body count no less). In fact, when a ship failed INSURV Navy Times hinted that other CO's been fired for failing said inspection. Bottom line is this. If a CO needs to be removed then do so after careful consideration and do so in private. Do not have a press release that makes it easy for Navy Times to build a wedge between officers and enlisted. My two cents.
ReplyDeleteShe was my C.O and in the Uss Ponce she played favorites bigtime busted me down literally because my higher up put his hands on me and i walked away she had very poor leader ship
DeleteRespectfully disagree. After careful consideration, absolutely. However, relieve for cause in public just as a normal change of command ceremony (minus the pomp and circumstance), entire crew assembled, short explanation given by relieving authority after relieved CO departs ship, question/answer session open to crew, privacy of victims/witnesses only protected.
ReplyDeleteSuch a procedure might help dispel the commonly held belief that we operate a closed system of "different spanks for different ranks," especially as it seems to many blue jackets that "the higher the rank, the lighter the spank."
From the LA Times:
ReplyDeletehttp://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2011/04/navy-captain-relieved-of-duty-amid-alleged-inappropriate-relationship.html
It's an ufortunate situation... I've had 4 conversations today about this incident, all with people that worked with and for her. No one was surprised.
ReplyDeleteAnchor up? Do you realize both of these "command qualified" individuals are "prior enlisted"? Yeah, what difference does that make? Well, I'd never put that combo together onboard one warship and expect success. Damn shame. They both must have been asleep during the Command Leadership "Don't ever be the senior man (woman) in the room with a secret" lecture. Snap!
ReplyDeleteAnon @3:49 PM
ReplyDeleteAnd you do realize that the last CNO with intestinal fortitude was prior enlisted...think Boorda!
It seems to be URL thing. You don't see this in the IW community or at least it isn't publicized. These firings need to be public record. Tax payers deserve to see what our leaders are or are not doing to keep our Sailors and seas safe.
ReplyDeleteBeing prior or not being prior doesn't equate to being a good or poor leader. I have had great leadership that were Mustangs as well as poor role models and mentors who spent many years in a CPO Mess. An old wise Sailor once said you can polish a turd, but it's still a turd.
I say keep publishing their names. Maybe the "next guy" will learn that leadership isn't a word, it's a why of life.
I am going to weigh in here for a moment and agree with Navy IW. The status as former enlisted is not a factor. I am a retired Marine Mustang and I can tell you it cuts both ways. I have seen outstanding prior officers and turds. I have also seen outstanding straight from college officers and turds in that pipeline also. You either accept that leadership is a calling and a great weight of responsibility regardless of your source of commission or you take it as just a minor item on the job description. I happen to have gone to college with the XO and know he is a better man. I am sad to see him relieved but he had a duty as the Admiral said to the crew. I have never understood why the Navy assigns commanding officers the way they do it. In the Corps you must serve an XO tour, go away to another billet and then be screened for command. If the current CO doesn't believe you have the ability to lead then you do not get the nod. It is easier to make that hard call if the guy/gal isn't already tapped to be the CO. Sending the a guy in the door with PXO on his chest is stupid and leads to fiefdoms and an arrogance that nothing will happen to me because I am the skipper in waiting. It doesn't work well for football coaches and it darn sure doesn't work well for the military. Just my humble opinion as a Jarhead!
ReplyDeleteYou don't see this in the IW community because they aren't really in command.
ReplyDeleteVery unfortunate situation. I know C.J. and she is a superstar.
Her outstanding candor, superb leadership, and vast experience (maybe due to being prior enlisted, maybe not) probably resulted in her doing what we were all taught growing up in the Navy: That a CO can take care of things within the lifelines and maintain good order and discipline to support the ship's mission. I guess someone found out that the latest "third rail du jour" (hazing) didn't result in a complete slaughter of those involved, and she got fired for not crushing a Sailor. Too bad, since the reason that such an experienced officer was sent to turn around a P.O.S. hull like Ponce is because she was going to fix it on her own terms.
Very shocked to hear that she "mishandled" a loaded weapon, since C.J. owns more handguns than anyone I know and is a more experienced better shot than anyone. Maybe she didn't use our sissy clearing barrel?
Not sure what is happening to our Navy, but this is one in which VADM Harris made a mistake.
Signed: A sitting DDG Commanding Officer.
Anon @ 5:56PM
ReplyDeleteThe notion that you don't see IWs getting fired is because they don't command is specious. 'CJ' may be a great officer but her seniors determined she was not fit to command. Perhaps her juniors would have also had they had the authority. If she was sent to turn the POS USS Ponce around, it wasn't by VADM Harris who decided she was not fit to command a ship in his Fleet. If your thinking is similar to hers, perhaps we'll hear about your firing soon. Sounds like you are a cowboy. A standing CO. Also anonymous. When we clear our weapons, we do it safely in a weapon clearing barrel. There is nothing sissified about safety. As a CO we have no higher obligation than to keep our Sailors safe. If you can't start there - DON'T START.
A sitting DDG Commanding Officer mentioned, "...she was sent to turn the POS USS Ponce around..." Let's get one thing straight; she was given the easiest gig in the Navy. She had half a deployment and a decom to do. That's it. And she blew it.
ReplyDeleteAs for Ponce being a POS, that's almost comical. After wrapping up a 7 month deployment in December, she was towed to the shipyards due to loss of both plants, got underway from the shipyards on her own power 3 months later, and knocked out an entire training cycle to commence an early and extended 9 month deployment only 4 months after leaving the yards. All this on a 40 year old hull and a shoestring budget. Show me another ship that can pull that off. Certainly not the San Antonio…
Riddle me this…what exactly did she have to turn around? Ponce is in better shape than a sad number of far younger ships, all while spending a decade on the decom list. Jones was given a free ride to O-6, before she pissed it away on asinine and uncalled for behavior. I too have worked with her, and all that I’ve spoken to who likewise have can testify that she is bat$#!+ crazy. This includes some very seasoned Sailors on Ponce. If she’s your definition of a superstar, I pray you retire ASAP. As for me, I’m not sure what is happening to our Navy, but this is one in which multiple screening and promotion boards made a big mistake in keeping the likes of her around.
Good morning! I am a Sailor (a First Class) on Ponce who lived through the debacle, and the XO was collateral damage to Etta's manic drive for power and inability to handle pressure. He and most of the wardroom bent over backwards to keep the ship running and be a buffer between us on the deckplate and Her. There is no wedge the Navy Times put between us and the officers; rather we were happy to have the word out because it vindicated us--the crew--that we weren't screw ups, but that the failure was at the top. None of us wanted LCDR Boenisch to go. What can you do but call the IG when the CO is out of control, refuses to prosecute a massive hazing incident, and pulls a loaded, unsafed, condition 1 weapon on two of her sailors during a badly bungled security alert?
ReplyDeleteWomen like this are what give other women in the service the stereotypical "bad name".
ReplyDeleteI had a Second hand view as a family member during the "great sacrifice".
If the true story could/would be told a new Mutiny on the Bounty could of been filmed during her time as CO.
Beyond belittling, disrespectful and flat out waving the bi-polar flag.
Good riddance and don't let the hatch hit you on the way down the ladder.
I served with the this CO when she was Cheng, this should of been seen! It was apparent then that she had no ability to lead a department and caused a hostile work environment. Several inspection team and 2 commanding officers seen these traits and failed to act. Abuse of junior officers and favoritism with complete undermining of the senior enlisted. Report were made to the commanding officer at the time by the junior officers but fell on deaf ears. It’s sad to see what has become of the command structures of todays navy. Check the records there a problem when you lose almost 30 percent of a department in a year to drug testing. She ruined many careers I would imagine a lot more then just the ones I know about in her rise to command.
ReplyDeleteIm not sure the very public nature of these firings are necessary or good for the Navy, but the moment you don't open completely, conspiracy theorist make more noise with conjecture that is probably worse than the public acknowledgement by the navy.
ReplyDeleteAs far as the Ponce being a POS..... I don't think so. For an old lady with almost no budget, Her crew has done a whole lot better than many younger ships. I feel for the XO as that was probably collateral damage, but a CO that causes as much trouble as she did needed to go. From what I heard the bulk of the officers did their best to buffer the enlisted crew. The crew was not innocent, but they did not deserve the treatment that this CO dished out.
The navy should really look to the Corp processes and rethink how we give command to officers. The Navy is way to important historically and in realty to allow these few bad apples to destroy our long and proud service.
A former sailor from Ponce
I can sum up the problem in one sentence..."Diversity an ANY cost."
ReplyDeleteFor the sitting DDG CO who stands up for CDR Jones....I was one of her Dept Heads....I can tell you, as a Mustang, Sailor, and Officer...anyway you want to cut it. This former CO was out of control. Completely unprofessional and while she may have presented a good appearance, she was unbecoming in every way. As far as two prior enlisted being a bad combination....totally disagree. As far as superstar? As CHENG she had a phallic device coated with non-skid that she would pull out of her desk...and pull it out, while threatening to ram the poor soul who pissed her off that particular day. Of course, she was not really going to...but is that the type of leadership we want? Superstar? Really?
ReplyDeleteSimply put - we're not asking and she's not telling.
ReplyDeleteShe was another Holly Ann Graf in the making. Better to cut off her n*ts early.
Time will tell if public firing and humbling of egomaniacs is the correct venue for the Navy. I believe 100% public visibility is a must and corrective action will be administered properly. As for "anonymous" comment of being prior enlisted makes for poor sea duty leadership, your full of yourself and obviously have learned nothing about true leadership and most likely never will. QUIT and Get Out before you ruin more Sailors.
ReplyDeleteClearly political correctness has destroyed the soul of the Navy. There is abundant evidence this officer was not fit to wear the uniform, much less command, yet a whole lot of people covered up for her, and promoted her, until she nearly shot a couple of her sailors. Is the hand of the "sisterhood" again? I get the impression they may be using intimidation, coercion, or outright blackmail to promote and protect their own. There is practically no other logical explanation.
ReplyDeleteFor the sitting DDG Commanding Officer.
ReplyDelete3 May 2011 5:56 PM
Having read the HOTLINE complaint and investigation report, I have to say you are VERY flawed in your evaluation of CDR Jones. I hope that you do a better job in the evaluation of your own DDG superstars as their CO. You may, in fact, be creating other Etta Jones-type individuals that the Navy will have to fire in the future.
Cdr Jones finally got was she deserved. I had the unfortunate pleasure of serving with her while she was the CHENG. She can be summed up in a few words...cocky, ignorant, and incompetent. I can't count the number of people she tortured and possibly ran out of the navy with her "iron fist" attitude. Its a shame it took this long for payback to arrive. Her tyranncial antics were just the tip of the iceburg. She destroyed the engineering dept and appears has found her way to demoralize an entire ship. I say good riddance...the navy is a better place without her.
ReplyDeleteI had the unique pleasure of serving under Etta “CJ” Jones. At the time she was a Lieutenant Commander and Executive Officer (XO) of the USS Whidbey Island. She used scare tactics and bulling to get her way. She demined junior officers in front of enlisted personnel. She told people that she would kick their ass, or flame spray them. She had tantrums; she acted like a spoiled, maladjusted child.
ReplyDeleteOur Commanding Officer (CO) was a good man, but he had no idea of the crap his officers and sailors put up with. The crew loved when the CO was in the same space as the XO. In most cases she would behave, or act according to her rank and title. Every once in a while, she would get too loud or over eager and the CO tell he to keep it down. There were other leaders that helped to alleviate the stress induced by the XO.
The Command Master Chief (CMC) and Ships Bosun were both strong willed and caring individuals. They cared about their sailors! These two men along with the rest of the Chief’s Mess kept the ship’s crew moving forward. In the US Navy there is no excuse for, nor place for Officers that cannot make the easy decisions.
Decency and common courtesy are easy choices to make. I do not wish CJ ill; she needs to learn from her mistakes and move on.
Former Mustang