Hampton nuke probe spurs larger inquiry

[unhappycamper]

Hampton nuke probe spurs larger inquiry
By Andrew Scutro - Staff writer
Posted : Friday Nov 2, 2007 17:16:17 EDT

The investigation into doctored reactor logs onboard the attack submarine Hampton continues with a sharp eye on the rest of the undersea fleet, according to Vice Adm. Jay Donnelly, submarine force commander.

“We’re looking very, very carefully at the root causes of what happened on Hampton, and the investigation is ongoing, so it’s a little early to draw conclusions, but I expect we’ll wrap this up in the very near future,” he told an annual gathering of the Naval Submarine League in McLean, Va., on Nov. 1. “We had a group of individuals — not a single individual, but a group — was working together, and they compromised our integrity. I think they were pushing the ‘easy button.’ ”

The Hampton investigation has led to administrative discipline for one officer and five enlisted crewmen who allegedly skipped regular chemical tests of reactor water and then falsified records to make it appear the work had been completed. Donnelly described it as several crewmen “working in collusion and falsifying some records.”

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“My question is, ‘Is this a one-time isolated incident, or do we have this problem throughout the force?’ I don’t have indications now that I have a forcewide problem, certainly not on the magnitude that we had on Hampton,” he said.

Coincidental to the Hampton investigation, officials at the submarine symposium said the force has begun a deck-plate inquiry into low morale and shortfalls in officer and enlisted retention.


Rest of article at: http://www.navytimes.com/news/2007/11/navy_subprobe_broadens_071102w/