{"id":41781,"date":"2021-07-01T16:51:42","date_gmt":"2021-07-01T16:51:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/uncategorized\/2021\/07\/01\/after-mccain-fitzgerald-collision-reports-navy-says-its-focused-on-fundamentals-of-warfighting\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T19:43:18","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T19:43:18","slug":"after-mccain-fitzgerald-collision-reports-navy-says-its-focused-on-fundamentals-of-warfighting","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/news\/your-navy\/2021\/07\/01\/after-mccain-fitzgerald-collision-reports-navy-says-its-focused-on-fundamentals-of-warfighting\/","title":{"rendered":"After McCain, Fitzgerald collision reports, Navy says it\u2019s focused on \u2018fundamentals\u2019 of warfighting"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The findings of the comprehensive reviews of the 2017 collisions of the guided-missile destroyers Fitzgerald and McCain have prompted the Navy to devote greater attention to the fundamentals of warfighting as it examines how it is manning ships and training and equipping sailors, Navy leaders say.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When asked about the impact of the comprehensive reviews, Vice Adm. Kelly Aeschbach, commander of Naval Information Forces, said the focus on warfighting training and readiness starts with Recruit Training Command at Naval Station Great Lakes, Illinois.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019re really working on our warfighting ethos and that, when you are supporting an integrated platform, there are some basic fundamentals that we\u2019ve got to make sure our sailors and officers are capable of,\u201d Aeschbach said Tuesday during a panel discussion about integrated manning, training and equipping at the virtual WEST 2021 conference. \u201cSo if you end up in crisis, our sailors and officers can be part of the solution, whether that\u2019s fighting a fire or some other kind of damage control.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Navy has examined fatigue and resilience and the impact that has on operational shore commands, Aeschbach said, and the service has reevaluated \u201cwhether we\u2019ve got optimal watch strategies, rotations for our personnel and enough support to make sure that they\u2019ve got the tools available to them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The reports on the collisions, which resulted in the deaths of 17 sailors, found that the incidents were preventable and attributed them to training shortfalls, sleep deprivation and navigation failures, among other things.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a comprehensive review<\/a> of 7th Fleet leadership and surface ship commanders, Fleet Forces Command discovered that training and proficiency declined due to pressure to keep up with operational requirements<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe risks that were taken in the Western Pacific accumulated over time and did so insidiously,\u201d according to a report released in 2017. \u201cThe dynamic environment normalized to the point where individuals and groups of individuals could no longer recognize that the processes in place to identify, communicate and assess readiness were no longer working at the ship and headquarters level.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\t