Our Navy is Decisive: CAPT Honors Relieved as USS Enterprise Commander
Navy Admiral John Harvey permanently relieved CAPT Owen P. Honors, Jr., as Commanding Officer of the USS Enterprise, now preparing for deployment in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. Update: The Enterprise is to deploy Thursday, January 13.
To Admiral Harvey's credit, and that of the Navy, he acted decisively and in the best interests of the USS Enterprise and its almost 6,000 sailors.
There's quite a lot of commentary on this, but it's clear that the controversy made it impossible for CAPT Honors to continue to hold the confidence of his superiors.
We hope that the Norfolk Virginian-Pilot will share the other videos with the American people, if only to support CAPT Honors' post-retirement career as a comedian.
The Norfolk Virginian-Pilot reports that the Navy is continuing to investigate, but we've also heard that CAPT Owen P. Honors, Jr., has been temporarily relieved.
On the other hand, CAPT Honors' supporters have set up a Facebook page. We'll keep you posted.
1. CNN is quite correct that substantial official resources were required in their production. This isn't someone clowning around with a personal video camera.
2. If the Navy has already been aware of these videos, and took action way back in 2007, well, then action has been taken, so it's just egg on the Navy's face at this point.
The Norfolk Virginian-Pilot reports that the Commanding Officer of the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise, Navy Captain Owen P. Honors, Jr., due to deploy shortly to support operations in Afghanistan, while serving as its Executive Officer [XO] on a similar deployment in 2006-2007, starred in the above video series to the crew. See for yourself; the newspaper has bleeped out potentially offensive dialogue.
Here are our thoughts:
1. Consider the time and the context: Any kind of deployment is stressful; leaders need to guide and channel the intensity of emotions towards topics that are less [but not totally zero] politically incorrect, just to burn off the steam and stress and tension in a more [but not completely] socially acceptable manner. Furthermore, back in 2006, one political party controlled both political branches of our government; it takes time for socio-political changes like the Democratic takeover of Congress, effective in January 2007, to filter out to our ships at sea.
2. We need leaders with courage, rather than timid wimps afraid to make a decision. Yes, he should have a little egg on his face [see speculation in the page 2 etc. Comments on TowleRoad], but that's it. Clearly, the crew's loyalty to their Captain has ensured that the American people know what a great job he's doing. [Snark!] Other leaders are certainly learning and will be guided by this, but we don't want to destroy the need for creativity and imagination to maintain morale on a deployment.
3. Make your own decision whether it's really homophobic, or whatever. It's certainly juvenile, sophmoric and a bit raunchy, but so what? Keep the good elements of military culture; don't destroy everything.
4. With Congressional repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," to be fully implemented this year, will all such 'humor' be tolerated? No. Commanders and Leaders will need to ensure that all motivational materials ensure that everyone is treated with dignity and respect. A more pressing issue is whether Captain Honors recognizes how much things have changed, and the current, pre-deployment command climate on the USS Enterprise.
5. To a certain extent, this video is already a historical document of life under DADT.
further Update [08JAN2011]: For some reason, the Norfolk Virginian-Pilot has removed the video from its website; the above video has also been removed from YouTube by the original poster. We left a comment on the newspaper's website politely inquiring why. Sans response from the paper, it's back on YouTube:
The Norfolk Virginian-Pilot has released two more "XO Movie Night" videos from the USS Enterprise, starring its former Commanding Officer, CAPT Owen P. Honors, Jr.
