fontman
08-21-06, 04:03 PM
Commander of the USS Cole denied promotion
Yahoo News ^ | 21 Aug. 2006
The former commander of the USS Cole, a US destroyer that was nearly sunk in a suicide attack six years ago in Yemen, has been denied promotion to captain, the US Navy said.
US Navy Secretary Donald Winter withdrew Commander Kirk Lippold's name from the list of officers selected for promotion after reviewing an investigation into the October 12, 2000 attack on the USS Cole, which killed 17 sailors.
Winter concluded that Lippold's actions before the attack in Aden harbor "did not meet the high standards that he expects of commanding officers and, based on this, Commander Lippold was not the best and fully qualified for promotion to the higher grade," the Navy said.
Lippold, who is currently serving in the Pentagon as a navy strategist, was first selected for promotion to captain in 2002, but the US Congress has failed to approve it.
The Cole was refueling in Aden's harbor when it was struck by a small boat with enough explosives aboard to rip a large hole in the hull of the billion-dollar Aegis warship.
A navy investigation found that Lippold had failed to carry out all 60 procedures for protecting the ship but had not been informed about the terrorist threat in Aden and had taken reasonable precautions.
The navy said Winter reviewed the investigation and the recommendation of the chief of naval operations before deciding to withdraw Lippold's name.
Yahoo News ^ | 21 Aug. 2006
The former commander of the USS Cole, a US destroyer that was nearly sunk in a suicide attack six years ago in Yemen, has been denied promotion to captain, the US Navy said.
US Navy Secretary Donald Winter withdrew Commander Kirk Lippold's name from the list of officers selected for promotion after reviewing an investigation into the October 12, 2000 attack on the USS Cole, which killed 17 sailors.
Winter concluded that Lippold's actions before the attack in Aden harbor "did not meet the high standards that he expects of commanding officers and, based on this, Commander Lippold was not the best and fully qualified for promotion to the higher grade," the Navy said.
Lippold, who is currently serving in the Pentagon as a navy strategist, was first selected for promotion to captain in 2002, but the US Congress has failed to approve it.
The Cole was refueling in Aden's harbor when it was struck by a small boat with enough explosives aboard to rip a large hole in the hull of the billion-dollar Aegis warship.
A navy investigation found that Lippold had failed to carry out all 60 procedures for protecting the ship but had not been informed about the terrorist threat in Aden and had taken reasonable precautions.
The navy said Winter reviewed the investigation and the recommendation of the chief of naval operations before deciding to withdraw Lippold's name.