The officer in charge of the USS Harry S. Truman has been relieved of his duties after a collision with a cargo ship that forced the aircraft carrier to dock at Souda Bay in Greece.
Capt. Dave Snowden was relieved of his duties after the Navy said it had lost confidence in his ability to safely command the ship.
“The U.S. Navy holds commanding officers to the highest standard and takes action to hold them accountable when those standards are not met. Naval leaders are entrusted with significant responsibilities to their sailors and their ships,” a Navy statement reported by Stars and Stripes said.
The Truman was involved in a late-night collision with the merchant vessel Besiktas-M in a highly trafficked area near the Suez Canal on February 12th that left the high-profile aircraft carrier with scrapes and gashes, as well a hole in the hull above the waterline.
The carrier was en route from the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea when the collision happened. There were no injuries or flooding, a Navy spokesperson said.
Its propulsion system was not damaged and there were no injuries reported. It is currently undergoing a complete structural assessment at Naval Support Activity Souda Bay in Greece.
Snowden had been the Nimitz class aircraft carrier’s commanding officer since the end of 2023, the military said.
Capt. Christopher Hill, who was commanding officer of the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower and also helmed it during a nine-month extended deployment last year in the Middle East, will serve temporarily as the Truman’s commanding officer, the Navy said.
USS Truman in the Mediterranean, the Red Sea and Souda Bay
The carrier often docks at Souda Bay during its operations in the Mediterranean. The port is a strategically important deep-water port on the island of Crete, and it hosts a US Naval Support Activity.
USS Truman’s presence in the Mediterranean serves as a deterrent and demonstrates the US commitment to regional security and stability. The carrier and its strike group work to ensure the safety and security of sea lanes, protect against piracy and other threats, and maintain freedom of navigation.
The carrier engages in exercises and operations with NATO allies and regional partners to enhance interoperability and cooperation.
The carrier strike group is a mobile and flexible force that can be rapidly deployed to respond to a variety of crises, including natural disasters, humanitarian emergencies and conflicts.
Additionally, the USS Harry S. Truman has recently been involved in operations against ISIS in Somalia and has conducted strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen.
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