Navy Secretary Calls ‘All-Hands’ Meeting in San Diego Following Deadly Collisions

Secretary of the Navy Richard Spencer is scheduled to visit Naval Base San Diego on Tuesday and hold an “all hands” meeting with area sailors.

The visit, his first while in office, comes after a pair of deadly collisions involving U.S. destroyers. The latest one, on Monday involving the USS John S. McCain, resulted in as many as 10 deaths — one confirmed with nine other sailors still listed as missing.

In June, seven sailors aboard the USS Fitzgerald died after a collision with another ship. Two of the victims were from the San Diego region.

Both destroyers are based in Japan.

“It’s a tragedy, and it’s totally unacceptable,” Spencer told sailors in a visit today to Naval Station Mayport in Florida, according to WJXT in Jacksonville. “We cannot be our own worst enemy.”

He said the “extraordinary” tempo of operations lately may have contributed to the collisions, but he said he planned to wait until investigations are complete to decide whether to make changes. The Navy ordered a comprehensive review of the incidents and surface fleet operations.

Spencer also is scheduled to tour the recently commissioned littoral combat ship USS Gabrielle Giffords when he comes to San Diego.

Sworn-in on Aug. 3, Spencer is a Marine veteran who spent five years as a helicopter pilot. Most recently, he worked for a management consulting firm in Wyoming.

–City News Service