Brian Bradley
NS&D Monitor
12/12/2014
After news broke that allegations of a sailor secretly recording female officers showering aboard a nuclear missile ballistic missile submarine had surfaced, House lawmakers expressed concern about morale in nuclear forces. Rep. Buck McKeon (R-Calif.), chair of the House Armed Services Committee in a statement released Dec. 5, called the news of alleged misconduct aboard the USS Wyoming “unwelcome and unacceptable,” and added it was a setback for the nuclear enterprise. “With an investigation pending, I hope the silence from Navy Leadership and the decision to deploy the boat with the command team in place is not a sign that the Navy is being quick to dismiss the gravity of this incident,” McKeon stated. “I expect the [Chief of Naval Operations] and [Navy] Secretary [Ray] Mabus to take a hard look at the command climate on the USS Wyoming and take action if warranted.”
Rep. Jack Kingston (R-Ga.), whose district includes Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay, where the USS Wyoming is home-ported, this week sent NS&D Monitor a statement calling the allegations “disturbing.” “In the close confinement of a submarine, privacy has to be kept to protect the morale and well-being of all sailors,” Kingston stated. “I’m confident the Navy will fully investigate and serve justice.”
News Emerges Same Day Hagel Announced Improvements in Addressing Sexual Assault
The Navy Times published the original article on Dec. 3, the same day that Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel announced the results of a review that detailed the Defense Department’s progress in how it addresses sexual assault, adding that sexual assault in the military had dropped 25 percent between 2012 and 2013. He also said that in 90 percent of reviewed cases, commanders took action to prevent an assault when they saw the risk of one happening. Commanders were made aware of the submarine allegations in November, after which they promptly triggered an investigation, Lt. Cmdr. Tommy Crosby, spokesperson for Submarine Forces Atlantic, this week told NS&D Monitor. While the Navy Times cites an incident report that described the recording as a “privacy violation,” McKeon called the alleged actions sexual harassment. “This is sexual harassment and cannot be tolerated,” McKeon stated. “The Navy must treat sexual harassment seriously, if we’re to also know they’re treating sexual assault seriously.”
Subject of Investigation Assigned to Trident Facility
The Naval Criminal Investigative Service is investigating at least one sailor—a 24-year-old male second class petty officer—in connection with the creation and distribution of the videos, which are believed to have recorded for more than a year at least three female officers while they were showering or undressed, according to the article which cites a source who spoke with one of the alleged victims. The referenced subject of the investigation is assigned to the Trident Training Facility. While it is possible that the recording caught both men and women showering, the article states, the cited source believes only the videos recording the women were circulated.
Officials Made Aware of Allegations, Commissioned Investigation in November
While Crosby confirmed the existence of an ongoing NCIS investigation, he did not elaborate on the allegations. “Right now, the main focus is to ensure that we do a thorough investigation, and once we have done a thorough investigation, and it’s complete, then we’ll move to the next stage,” he said. “If the allegations prove to be factual, the Navy will ensure that the individuals involved are held fully accountable for their actions.” Crosby did not say how many people were being investigated, but confirmed that the alleged perpetrator(s) were removed from the ship pending completion of the investigation.
A ‘Breach of Trust’
A separate Navy Times article cites a letter sent by Vice Adm. Michael Connor, commander of Submarine Forces Atlantic, to submarine brass, in which he supposedly confirmed the filming and called the actions a “breach of trust.” "Incidents that violate the trust of our sailors go against every core value we hold sacred in our naval service," the article quotes the letter as stating. "They are incredibly humiliating to the individuals victimized, and to every service member in our force, male or female." Female sailors began serving on submarines in 2011.
