Fallout is swift after Navy video
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WASHINGTON -- The captain of the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise was permanently relieved of his command Tuesday for making a series of ribald and offensive videos that aired on the ship's closed-circuit television system when he was the second-in-command several years ago.
The Navy cited a "profound lack of good judgment and professionalism" in relieving Captain Owen Honors, who stars in the videos. The recordings, reportedly shown as a way of relieving boredom and boosting morale, include skits laden with sexual innuendo and barbs aimed at gays and the politically correct.
In a statement announcing the action against Mr. Honors, Admiral John C. Harvey Jr., commander of U.S. Fleet Forces Command in Norfolk, said the incident "calls into question his character and completely undermines his credibility to serve effectively in command." Mr. Harvey is leading an investigation into the videos, including whether other senior officers knew of their existence, and why they apparently took no action to stop them.
It is unclear why the videos are surfacing only now, or whether high-ranking Navy officials were aware of the videos earlier and decided to promote Mr. Honors to the USS Enterprise's top job despite their content. But once the Virginian-Pilot newspaper reported on the videos Saturday and published an edited version on the Internet, the Navy moved quickly to condemn the videos and launch an investigation.
"The Navy does not endorse or condone these kinds of actions," Commander Chris Sims, a Navy spokesman, said before the action against Mr. Honors was announced. "Those in command ... are charged to lead by example and are held accountable for setting the proper tone and upholding the standards of honor, courage and commitment that we expect sailors to exemplify."
The Navy has traditionally moved faster than other U.S. military services to relieve officers of command when they are believed to have acted improperly. A spate of commanders have been disciplined in this way in the past year, for offenses ranging from sexual misconduct to running ships aground.
First Published January 5, 2011 12:00 am
