Sunday, August 12, 2012

CO of USS PITTSBURGH washes out

Commander Mike Ward, commanding officer of the fast attack submarine USS PITTSBURG (SSN 720) was fired on 10 August 2012 for  “allegations of personal misconduct.” 

Captain Vernon Parks, commander of Submarine Development Squadron TWELVE said that Commander Mike Ward understood the CNO's Charge of Command and failed to uphold them.

Commander Ward had been in command for only a week.  The former CO of USS PITTSBURGH, Commander Mike Savageaux, reassumed command temporarily - a rare circumstance indeed.

8 comments:

The full story said...

Navy Cmdr. Michael P. Ward II, who has been accused of having an affair with a 23-year-old Chesapeake, Va. woman and faking his death as a means of ending it, has been relieved of his duties as the commanding officer of the USS Pittsburgh, just one week after he was put in command.

The woman said she met Ward, 43, on a dating Website in October 2011. She said he told her he worked in "special ops." She said Ward, who is married with children, told her he was separated. She said he impregnated her and, in an effort to end the relationship, faked his death in an email communication in July.

The woman talked to The Day under the condition that her name not be used. Reached by telephone this afternoon, Ward, who lives in Gales Ferry, declined to comment.

Groton Sailor said...

What constitutes the misconduct here ?? - impregnating the 23 year old woman, faking his own death, cheating on his wife or what?

The Navy owes it to her Sailors to court martial him. How does this man screen for command??????? I don't understand it !!!

Anonymous said...

He screened for command because he did his XO tour on the projects boat (career maker) and if I remember correctly, he did his DH tour as the ENG on NR-1. He was a horrible XO though, complete lack of leadership ability, incredible nuclear mind though. That is what we get for steering sub skippers to be engineers and not tacticians.

Anonymous said...

This is a hard one for our submariner CNO. Integrity? Mark Ward has none.

Anonymous said...

Mike Ward.

Anonymous said...

And we are telling the Chief's Mess to "Anchor Up?"

Anonymous said...

Anon at 7:41 AM

No, we let the MCPON take care of that. ;-)

Anonymous said...

Ward was found guilty of Uniform Code of Military Justice violations including dereliction of duty, unbecoming conduct and adultery, and received the punitive letter of reprimand.