Two collisions that occurred between U.S. Navy destroyers and commercial vessels earlier this year were "avoidable," and were the result of crew and navigational errors, according to an official report released on Wednesday.
The Chief of Naval Operations report summarized the findings of investigations that followed two Western Pacific collisions, which resulted in the deaths of 17 sailors, the New York Times reported.
The first collision occurred in June between the USS Fitzgerald and a container ship near Japan, leaving seven sailors dead. The second crash in August resulted in ten service member deaths when the USS John S. McCain and an oil tanker, approaching Singapore, collided.
The Navy determined the crew on board the Fitzgerald failed to plan for safety, did not follow navigation and watch practices, and did not use navigation tools properly or respond effectively to a crisis.
"Many of the decision made that led to this incident were the result of poor judgement and decision making of the commanding officer," the report said. However, blame for the incident was not placed on any single individual. "The crew was unprepared for the situation in which they found themselves through a lack of preparation, ineffective command and control, and deficiencies in training and preparations for navigation," the report continued.
In the case of the John S. McCain, a destroyer named after Sen. John McCain’s (R., Ariz.) father and grandfather, it was concluded that the collision was a result of "a loss of situational awareness" while the crew responded to mistakes in the operation of the ship’s steering.
"The collisions were avoidable," Chief of Naval Operations Adm. John Richardson said in summary.
The incidents have motivated some Capitol Hill lawmakers and military leaders to call for immediate changes, especially in consideration of the high operation tempo putting strain on Naval ships in the Pacific. On Tuesday, McCain pointed to sequestration, automatic Pentagon budget cuts that have occurred since 2013, as a major issue.
"We’ve deprived them of the funds to do it," Mr. McCain said of the continuous operations in the Pacific. "We’re putting those men and women in harm’s way to be wounded or killed because we refuse to give them the sufficient training and equipment and readiness. It’s a failure of Congress. It’s on us."
The commander of Fleet Forces Command in Norfolk, Va., Adm. Phil Davidson, issued urgent new orders in early September for all U.S. Navy warships, the Times reported:
These directives included more sleep and no more 100-hour workweeks for sailors. Ships steaming in crowded waters like those near Singapore and Tokyo were ordered to broadcast their positions as do other vessels. And ships whose crews lack basic seamanship certification will probably stay in port until the problems are fixed.
The orders were seemingly obvious standards, according to military officials, but were not implemented until after two deadly collisions occured in two months.