U.S. Navy quietly removes commanders, drawing congressional pushback

The U.S. Navy has quietly fired or removed several top officers in recent months but broke with its usual practice of announcing those changes, drawing pushback from Congress.

Submarine leadership removed

Two Democratic lawmakers said Thursday that the Navy failed to inform Congress that it fired the entire leadership team of a nuclear-powered attack submarine last month after an underwater collision. Reps. Joe Courtney of Connecticut and Adam Smith of Washington wrote to Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao and Adm. Daryl Caudle, the Navy's top uniformed officer, expressing "deep frustration" over the failure to notify the House Armed Services Committee about the firing of the commander, second in command and top enlisted sailor of the USS South Dakota submarine.

The letter says they were fired after the submarine ran into something on the seabed, but the Navy would not offer public comment. Source 2 states the commanding officer, executive officer and chief of the boat of USS South Dakota were relieved on Oct. 14 after a reported grounding, and that Submarine Force Atlantic later confirmed Cmdr. Daniel Goodwin, the boat's commanding officer, was relieved that day.

Destroyer commander relieved

The Navy also on Sept. 27 relieved Cmdr. Caitlin Cunningham, commander of the USS Michael Murphy destroyer, which has been deployed to support operations against Iran, due to a loss of confidence, a defense official said. She had been in the job less than a year. Typically, the firing of someone like Cunningham would be announced by the Navy within days, but the service did not offer public comment even when asked about it.

Attending physician departs

Dr. Brian Monahan, a Navy rear admiral and attending physician for Congress and the Supreme Court, also departed his post during a Navy investigation — with no public announcement or confirmation. On Thursday, Republican Sen. Mike Rounds of South Dakota and Democratic Sen. Alex Padilla of California also confirmed the departure of Monahan but provided few other details. The Navy has opened an investigation, according to a person familiar with the situation who was not authorized to discuss the matter and spoke on the condition of anonymity.

For nearly 18 years, Monahan held the top job in the Office of the Attending Physician, which is responsible for providing emergency medical assistance to members of Congress and the Supreme Court as well as congressional staff and visitors.

Broader secrecy context

All three removals are a break from the Navy's longstanding policy to announce major removals of commanders and other highly visible officials. They also follow an increasing level of secrecy over military operations, especially in the Middle East.

"As a result of the Navy's failure to communicate, what should have been a standard exercise in information sharing has instead raised questions about the Navy's commitment to transparency and its commitment to a productive working relationship with Congress," Reps. Joe Courtney of Connecticut and Adam Smith of Washington wrote in a letter to Navy leaders.

The developments could set up a contentious confirmation hearing next week for acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao as he seeks to permanently take over as the top civilian official.

Why it matters

The quiet removals break with Navy custom and have prompted lawmakers to question the service's commitment to transparency and its working relationship with Congress. The dispute comes as Cao seeks confirmation as Navy secretary and as the Pentagon has tightened information on military operations in the Middle East.

---

Sources

• ctvnews.ca: U.S. navy quietly fires commanders and other officials
• clashreport.com: US Navy Quietly Fires Commanders, Drawing Congressional Pushback · Clash Report
• mynbc5.com: Navy quietly fired some commanders, drawing congressional pushback - WPTZ
• ottumwacourier.com: Navy has quietly fired some commanders and other officials, drawing congressional pushback | National News | ottumwacourier.com
• eagletribune.com: Navy has quietly fired some commanders and other officials, drawing congressional pushback | Region | eagletribune.com
• twaslnews1.twaslnews.com: US Navy Quietly Fired Some Commanders And Officials, Drawing Congressional Pushback

This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.