{"id":12081,"date":"2018-06-08T19:34:03","date_gmt":"2018-06-08T19:34:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/uncategorized\/2018\/06\/08\/heres-how-two-fitzgerald-officers-could-avoid-court-martial\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T18:54:23","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T18:54:23","slug":"heres-how-two-fitzgerald-officers-could-avoid-court-martial","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/news\/your-navy\/2018\/06\/08\/heres-how-two-fitzgerald-officers-could-avoid-court-martial\/","title":{"rendered":"Here\u2019s how two Fitzgerald officers could avoid court-martial"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The officer in charge of assessing whether two lieutenants should face court-martial for their roles in last summer\u2019s fatal <a href=\"https:\/\/www.navytimes.com\/news\/your-military\/2017\/08\/17\/water-on-deck-get-out-the-navys-official-report-of-the-fitzgeralds-catastrophe-at-sea\/\" title=\"\" class=\"\" target=\"_blank\">Fitzgerald<\/a> collision has recommended the cases not go to trial, one of the accused\u2019s attorneys said this week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">An Article 32 hearing was held for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.navytimes.com\/news\/your-navy\/2018\/05\/22\/fitz-cos-attorneys-torch-navy-brass-for-handling-of-case\/\" title=\"\" class=\"\" target=\"_blank\">Lt. Natalie Combs<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.navytimes.com\/news\/your-navy\/2018\/05\/22\/fitz-cos-attorneys-torch-navy-brass-for-handling-of-case\/\" title=\"\" class=\"\" target=\"_blank\">Lt. Irian Woodley<\/a> last month. Such hearings involve an officer hearing the prosecution\u2019s evidence and then making a recommendation to higher-ups as to whether the case should proceed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The officers each faced charges of negligent homicide, dereliction of duty and hazarding a vessel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Combs\u2019 civilian attorney, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarydefense.com\/Attorney\/\" title=\"\" class=\"\" target=\"_blank\">David Sheldon<\/a>, said this week that the Article 32 officer recommended last week that the two go before an administrative separation board instead of a court-martial.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Adm. James Caldwell oversees all disciplinary action for cases pertaining to the Fitzgerald collision that killed seven sailors off Japan in June 2017 and the collision of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.navytimes.com\/news\/your-navy\/2017\/11\/01\/crushed-in-their-racks-inside-the-john-s-mccain-disaster\/\" title=\"\" class=\"\" target=\"_blank\">John S. McCain<\/a>, which killed another 10 shipmates last August.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While Caldwell could overrule the Article 32 officer\u2019s recommendation, Sheldon said he thinks that is \u201chighly unlikely.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/news\/your-navy\/2018\/05\/22\/fitz-cos-attorneys-torch-navy-brass-for-handling-of-case\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"210\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/co_cdr-benson.JPG.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">Fitzgerald CO\u2019s attorneys torch Navy brass for handling of case<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">Attorneys for Cmdr. Bryce Benson said last week that public comments by Navy leadership have assigned guilt and cast &quot;unwarranted aspersions&quot; against the former skipper.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThis allows for the Navy to say they went through the process,\u201d he said. \u201cBut at the same time, who knows? Adm. Caldwell has his own lawyers advising him and has his own discretion, so maybe he thinks differently.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Navy spokesman Cmdr. William Speaks declined to confirm the Article 32 officer\u2019s recommendation, citing the ongoing nature of the process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Combs was serving as the tactical action officer, or TAO, aboard the Fitz early on June 17, 2017, as the warship steamed off Japan and was struck on her starboard by the ACX Crystal, a hulking merchant vessel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The collision ripped a hole in the ship\u2019s side, flooding living quarters below the waterline and killing seven sailors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Navy alleged in charge sheets that Combs failed her duties as TAO, which involves overseeing weapons, propulsion and sensors when the captain isn\u2019t there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sheldon said Combs is not guilty of the charges, and that problems with the ship\u2019s radar and other issues systemic within the West Pacific 7th Fleet are to blame.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Navy leaders and reviews since the collisions have acknowledged that the Japan-based command suffers a higher operational tempo that ends up shorting vital training.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThey, from the beginning, obfuscated under the guise of litigation a full and fair accounting of the responsibility,\u201d Sheldon said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While Sheldon said he is encouraged by the recommendation against court-martialing Combs and Woodley, administrative separation board hearings present their own challenges because such proceedings offer less public accountability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThere\u2019s a tension here because if she goes to a board of inquiry, there are less rights available to her,\u201d he said. \u201cWhat that allows for the Navy to do is not have a fair vetting, in terms of the whole process.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/news\/your-navy\/2018\/05\/30\/what-the-hell-was-he-thinking-families-of-mccain-sailors-tear-into-former-co-at-court-martial\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"189\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/10-sailers-from-USS-McCain-copy.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">\u2018What the hell was he thinking?\u2019: Families of McCain sailors tear into former CO at court-martial<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">One-by-one, 15 gut-wrenching statements were read while the destroyer\u2019s former commanding officer, Cmdr. Alfredo J. Sanchez, sat only a few feet away.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sheldon joins other attorneys defending charged Fitz sailors who accuse the Navy of failing to be transparent when it comes to the collision and responsibility for it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Cmdr. Bryce Benson, the Fitz\u2019s CO at the time, was asleep when the collision occurred.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Navy is slated to court-martial him in the future, and his attorney recently ripped service brass, alleging that leadership\u2019s public statements about collision responsibility imperils Benson\u2019s chances at a fair trial.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Last month, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.navytimes.com\/news\/your-navy\/2018\/05\/08\/officer-of-the-deck-during-fatal-fitzgerald-collision-pleads-guilty-at-court-martial\/\" title=\"\" class=\"\" target=\"_blank\">Lt. j.g. Sarah Coppock<\/a> pleaded guilty to a dereliction of duty charge at a special court-martial for her role in the Fitz collision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Coppock was the officer of the deck, or OOD, at the time of the collision and was responsible for safely navigating the ship in the captain\u2019s stead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">She received a punitive letter of reprimand and will forfeit pay as part of her plea deal, while also waiving her right to an administrative discharge board, Navy officials said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While the Navy has refused to make public any of its investigations into the disaster, a review released last fall found the OOD made no attempt to contact the Crystal via radio before the collision and did not attempt to maneuver and avoid the Crystal until a minute before the collision.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/news\/your-navy\/2018\/05\/08\/officer-of-the-deck-during-fatal-fitzgerald-collision-pleads-guilty-at-court-martial\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"157\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/fitz-damage-2.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">Officer of the deck during fatal Fitzgerald collision pleads guilty at court-martial<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">Lt. j.g. Sarah Coppock pleaded guilty to a dereliction of duty charge. She was sentenced to a pay forfeiture, a punitive letter and waived her right to an administrative separation board.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.navytimes.com\/news\/your-navy\/2018\/05\/25\/former-mccain-co-sentenced-at-court-martial-for-fatal-collision\/\" title=\"\" class=\"\" target=\"_blank\">Cmdr. Alfredo Sanchez<\/a>, the McCain\u2019s skipper at the time of the August collision, also pleaded guilty in a special court-martial last month to a dereliction of duty charge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As part of a pre-trial agreement, he received a letter of reprimand, will forfeit pay and will have to submit a retirement request.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Also last month, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.navytimes.com\/news\/your-navy\/2018\/05\/24\/navy-chief-gets-busted-down-in-rank-at-mccain-collision-court-martial\/\" title=\"\" class=\"\" target=\"_blank\">Chief Boatswain\u2019s Mate Jeffrey Butler<\/a> pleaded guilty to a dereliction of duty charge in connection to his role in training sailors tasked with the McCain\u2019s basic ship-steering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He received a reduction to E-6.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The attorney for one of the Fitz officers facing negligent homicide charges said this week that a reviewing officer has recommended the cases not be taken to 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By:"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.0 (Yoast SEO v28.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Here\u2019s how two Fitzgerald officers could avoid court-martial - Navy Times<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The attorney for one of the Fitz officers facing negligent homicide charges said this week that a reviewing officer has recommended the cases not be taken to trial.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Here\u2019s how two Fitzgerald officers could avoid court-martial\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The attorney for one of the Fitz officers facing negligent homicide charges said this week that a reviewing officer has recommended the cases not be taken to trial.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/news\/your-navy\/2018\/06\/08\/heres-how-two-fitzgerald-officers-could-avoid-court-martial\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Navy Times\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2018-06-08T19:34:03+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-08-08T18:54:23+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Geoff Ziezulewicz\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Geoff Ziezulewicz\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\n\t    \"@context\": \"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\n\t    \"@graph\": [\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"Article\",\n\t 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