Commander Derick Armstrong, CO USS THE SULLIVANS (DDG-68) was fired on Tuesday, 8 May by Vice Admiral Frank C. Pandolfe, Commander U.S. SIXTH Fleet. Armstrong is the third commanding officer of USS THE SULLIVANS in less than two years.
The
relief for cause was a result of an unprofessional command climate that
was contrary to good order and discipline.
All evidence of Commander Armstrong's existence has already been removed from the official Navy website for USS THE SULLIVANS HERE.
22 comments:
Let me be the first to say, I know Derick and he is a great guy.
Let me be the second to say, I know him too. He was an awful excuse for a leader and everyone that served with him on The Sullivans saw this coming. Like the old saying goes,"what happens in the dark will come to light!"
Let me be the third to say: I know the guy as well. Though I won't (not CAN'T, just won't) speak to his leadership abilities, I did (and continue to) question the logic of a process that allowed an XO who could not fix long-standing issues (this ships issues have been present for the four years I've been working with them) to become the CO of the same ship. In a perfect world, Surflant is asking the same questions, but the world aint perfect, now is it?
Anchor up Officers!
Being a retired Chief, and knowing this ship as well as I do, the officers aren't the problem...at least not the root of it. The CPO Quarters is the problem. ANCHOR UP, CHIEFS. They're called STANDARDS for a REASON. They're not GOALS, they're not RECOMMENDATIONS, and they're NOT NEGOTIABLE.
Where I came from saying somebody was "a great guy" was the professional kiss of death, because you couldn't say anything of substance about them.
Amen ANAV....Amen
Ret AVAV you said: "...the officers aren't the problem...at least not the root of it. The CPO Quarters is the problem..."
What a cop out! Last time I checked the officers run the Navy...The CPOs make the Navy run. If the CPO Mess is truely F-ed up, then it is the CO/XO/CMC's responsible to put a foot up the CPOs backsides.
It is the responisblity for officers to provide direction and vision...and the CPOs to implement both. If the officers can't lead the enlisted then they need to look for another profession.
ANON @ 9:22,
Sounds like Ret ANAV's comments struck a little too close to home. I guess the truth hurts. What Chief (at least a great Chief) needs a foot in his/her backside to do the right thing? ANCHOR UP!!!
Ret CPO
When a fish stinks, it stinks from the head down!
Last time I checked the officers run the Navy...The CPOs make the Navy run
Last I checked, you are indeed correct. So let's take it from there: How do officers "run" the navy? By establishing the standards. How do CPO's "make the navy run"? By ENFORCING the standards. My assessment stands.
Different anonymous.... but I have worked for this guy and he is a complete jerk. I was so happy to transfer because my experience on that ship while he was XO was the most degrading time of my life. Told all the officers at khaki call that "I will f*** you guys up." No one minds a strong leader, but he was a bully and jerk because he had the power to do so. I'm glad they brought him down a notch.
The CO was fired...the CMC wasn't if the CPO was truly at fault I would think the CMC and XO would have been fired as well. Anchor Up Officers.
anon @1:40pm:
If you have access, parse thru the OPREP-3/NUS archives for the last several months (last couple of years, if you have the patience for it) and you'll see where I'm coming from...For the record, I'm pretty damn surprised that the CMC still has a job, but it is what it is. Not holding the wardroom harmless but I'll bear witness to/corroborate the 1:21pm ANON's comment.
What is with this it's the Officers, no it's the Chiefs, fault crap. If one of my Officers or Chiefs thought they were so special they gave more allegiance to either the wardroom or the goat locker and not the Command or the Navy - then that individual didn't deserve to be wearing khakis - whether it had bars or anchors. When the chiefs diminish or degrade the officers, or vice-versa, the command is in trouble. The white hats see right through it. In this case, the CO sets the tone and standard for both wardroom and goat locker, it it's bad and he can't fix it, then he's gone.
As a former sailor who just left The Sullivans, let me make this perfectly clear.he, as well as the CMC, were, and in regards to the CMC still being inboard. Are the problem. A ship that set that sailed thru insurv
as well as training cycle above average rating was set up for succes by the people that were there a year prior to there arrival. The only thing this man brought to the ship were policies and a leadership style that was 180 degrees from navy policy. Thank god someone finally stepped and removed him!!!
You can't blame the CPO mess for the CO's decision to commit sexual harassment. That's all on him. He knows right from wrong...or not that's why he got fired. Navy times and stars & stripes didn't publish it but that is the reason. Among a few others. But that's the climate they are talking about. There was a full on IG inspection
Anon @9:18:
Having seen it firsthand from outside the lifelines, that ship by NO means "sailed" thru INSURV, and it squeaked thru the the training cycle by the skin of its teeth. In fairness, all of the ship's accomplishments were in spite of the CO, rather than because of him, but that ship has a LONG history of LIVING WITH PROBLEMS (pre-dates Armstrong) that just boggles my mind. Armstrong couldn't fix it in the 18 months that he was XO (wasn't convinced he really tried), and was set up for failure when SURFLANT allowed him to fleet-up after Olsen got canned. For what it's worth, Armstrong probably should have left out the back door with Olsen, but the upcoming deployment, for continuity's sake, saved his hide. Seems people were surprised when the antics continued after the ship deployed, though it really shouldn't have. Had a long talk with one of your sailors who returned to JAX mid-deployment and was surprised by none of what I was being told.
Commander Derick Armstrong is a native of Atlanta, Ga. He is a 1995 graduate of the United States Naval Academy earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Political Science. In 2002 CDR Armstrong earned a Master’s degree in Financial Management from the Naval Postgraduate School. Additionally, CDR Armstrong is a graduate of the Joint Forces Staff College and is Joint Specialty Officer (JSO) qualified.
CDR Armstrong’s initial division officer tour was as an engineering division officer and Assistant First Lieutenant in USS AUSTIN LPD-4. For his second division officer tour he Pre-Commissioned USS O’KANE DDG 77 as the Assistant Operations Officer. His department head tours consisted of Combat Systems Officer in USS SIMPSON FFG-56 where the ship earned two Battle E awards and Combat Systems Officer in USS CHAFFE DDG-90 for her maiden deployment participating in Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom.
CDR Armstrong’s most recent shore assignment was in United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) J3 Priority and Effects Assessment Branch, as an Operations Planner. During this assignment, CDR Armstrong was deployed to Bahrain and served as USSOCOM’s LNO to Naval Forces Central Command to include the successful rescue of the Maersk Alabama Captain Richard Phillips from Somali Pirates. He also served as Flag Aide and Assistant Flag Secretary for Commander, NAVAL SURFACE FORCE ATLANTIC.
His personal awards include: Defense Meritorious Service Medal (1 award); Joint Service Commendation Medal (1 award); Navy Commendation Medal (4 awards); and Navy Achievement (1 award) as well as various unit/campaign decorations.
I served with Armstrong on the O'Kane and he was a bully then! No one liked him! He had an inflated opinion of himself and thought the sun shined directly out his rear... I am amazed that he even was given command of a US Navy warship.
SEXUAL HARASSMENT IS SEXUAL HARASSMENT, WHAT ELSE MATTERS.
This still brings me joy over a decade later :D
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