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USS Porter CO Relieved of Command
NORFOLK, Va. (NNS) -- Rear Adm. Dave Thomas, commander, Naval Surface Force, Atlantic (COMNAVSURFLANT), relieved Cmdr. Martin Arriola, the commanding officer of the Norfolk-based guided-missile destroyer USS Porter (DDG 78), Aug. 30, due to loss of confidence in Arriola's ability to command.
The relief occurred during an ongoing COMNAVSURFLANT investigation into the collision of Porter with the Panamanian-flagged tanker M/V Otowasan Aug. 12, near the Strait of Hormuz. Arriola has been reassigned to Naval Surface Force, Atlantic.
Porter is now commanded by Cmdr. Dave Richardson, the former executive officer of USS McFaul (DDG 74), who will serve as a permanent relief.
The ship is currently undergoing repair in Jebel Ali, United Arab Emirates.
For more news from Commander, Naval Surface Force, U.S. Atlantic Fleet, visit www.navy.mil/local/surflant/.
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I hate to see this happen to any CO but on the other hand I really really hate to see or read of disasters like the the USS FRANK E EVANS had in the So China Sea, maybe the film of that investigation needs to be shown in J O shiphandling 101, I'm sure all CO's would rather be woken up than end a career like this, .