The Commanding Officer of USS CHIEF, Lieutenant Commander Jim Rushton was relieved of command “due to misconduct” following an investigation by his boss, Captain Robert Hospodar, commodore of Mine Countermeasures Squadron 2 in San Diego, Naval Surface Forces.
The Executive Officer of USS CHIEF, Lieutenant Commander Anne Laird was also relieved for “misconduct.”
Captain Hospodar relieved both officers “as a result of an investigation into a violation of the Navy’s fraternization policy.”
As per Navy custom - biographies have been removed from the command website.
Lieutenant Commander Rushton took command of San Diego-based Crew Constant in December 2009. He is a 2004 graduate of Excelsior College (B.S) and a 2006 graduate of the Naval Postgraduate School (M.A. National Security Affairs).
Lieutenant Command Rushton joins this group of COs fired in 2010:
Captain John Titus, Navy Supply Corps School Athens Georgia
Captain Holly Graf, USS COWPENS
Captain Glen Little, South Carolina Naval Weapons Center
Commander Scott Merritt, NSA North Potomac
Commander Tim Weber, USS TRUXTUN
Captain Bill Reavey, NAS Pensacola
Commander Jeff Cima, USS Chicago
Commander Neil Funtanilla, USS THE SULLIVANS
Commander Herman Pfaeffle, USS JOHN L. HALL
Captain William Kiestler, Norfolk Naval Shipyard
Commander Fred Wilhelm, USS GUNSTON HALL
Captain David A. Schnell, USS PELELIU
Commander Mary Ann Giese, NCTS Bahrain
Commander Charles Maher, USS MEMPHIS
Captain David A. Solms, TTF Bangor
Captain Murray Gero, USS OHIO
