by Ken Wetmore, KUAM NewsThursday, January 20, 2005
The commander of the 7th Fleet has directed the commanding officer of the USS San Francisco be reassigned pending the results of an investigation into the submarine's grounding on January 8. 7th Fleet spokesperson Commander Ike Skelton says Vice-Admiral Jonathon Greenert's reassignment of Commander Kevin Mooney should not be considered punishment.Commander Skelton says the move was purely administrative in nature and no findings or disciplinary actions have been handed down in the on-going investigation being conducted by the 7th Fleet. Commander Mooney has been reassigned to Submarine Squadron 15, and the Squadron's deputy commander, Andrew Hale, will assume the duties as commanding officer of the San Francisco.In the meantime, COMNAVMAR spokesperson Lieutenant Arwen Consaul released a preliminary rundown of damages sustained by the San Francisco, saying the front of the submarine received extensive damage, including the forward ballast tanks, the sonar dome, and the sonar sphere. The Navy spokesperson says the full extent of damages will not be known until the San Francisco is put in dry dock. She says the Navy's first choice is to use the Guam Shipyard's floating dry dock.However, Lt. Consaul says the dry dock would have to receive special certification if it is to be used since it is not currently certified to handle nuclear submarines. The Navy hopes to finalize on its course of action in the next week or so according to Lt. Consaul.