Navy fires CO of destroyer Hopper, the fourth reported command firing in May

The commanding officer of the Hawaii-based destroyer Hopper was fired Monday in connection to allegations of fraternization, Navy officials said.

Cmdr. Jeffrey S. Tamulevich was relieved due to "evidence of misconduct involving alleged fraternization," Naval Surface Force Pacific spokesman Cmdr. David Russell told Navy Times.

Russell declined to offer further details on what the evidence entailed, citing an ongoing investigation.

Tamulevich had led the Hopper since July and has been temporarily reassigned to Navy Region Hawaii.

Capt. Joseph Ring, Destroyer Squadron 31’s deputy commodore, has been named to be the ship’s temporary commanding officer until a permanent relief is identified.

Russell said Tamulevich declined to comment.

“Commanding officers are entrusted with essential responsibilities to their Sailors and their ships, and are expected to maintain the Navy’s high standards for leadership,” Russell said.

Tamulevich is the second SURFPAC skipper to be fired this month, and at least the fourth Navy command firing, according to service reports.

Cmdr. Tammy Royal was fired as commander of the dock landing ship Harpers Ferry on May 17 after her superiors believed she could no longer effectively lead the San Diego based ship, SURFPAC officials said.

Another surface warfare officer, Capt. Heedong Choi, was fired as head of the Navy ROTC program at the State University of New York’s Maritime College on May 3 due to a “loss of confidence,” chief of naval personnel officials said.

Officials didn’t provide further details on the specific reasoning behind those two firings.

On the enlisted leadership side, Master Chief Jeremy Embree was relieved as command master chief of Naval Air Facility El Centro on May 1 after officials said he crashed and damaged an ATV on the California base.

In Other News

USS Gunston Hall is back home after a four-month deployment

Gunston Hall returned to the states after taking part in NATO's biggest exercise in decades.

Will the Supreme Court’s GI Bill ruling mean more money for vets?

A major veterans education benefits ruling by the Supreme Court this week could have far-reaching effects for millions of students.

Air Guard changes in Alaska could affect national security, rescue ops

Staffing changes in the Alaska Air National Guard may hurt the organization's ability to secure America's western airspace and carry out rescue operations.

A child thought he’d found a rock — it was actually a Marine’s jawbone

A human jawbone discovered in the Arizona desert was recently discovered to belong to a U.S. Marine Corps captain.

Cannon pediatric cancer study finds higher rate of rare brain tumors

Children affiliated with Cannon Air Force Base were diagnosed with a rare brain cancer at a higher rate than kids elsewhere, a new study found.

Internet subsidy used by millions of vets, troops set to expire in May

A federal program that helps troops and veterans pay for home internet access will run out of funding next month without congressional action.

Meet the Marine aviator of the year ― an unmanned aerial vehicle pilot

Maj. Shane Gentry used his real-world experience remotely piloting the MQ-9A in combat missions to train other Marines to fly the aircraft.

Navy continues to struggle in recruiting as other services near goal

The Navy is performing better than it did last year, but is projected to miss its recruiting goal by roughly 6,700 sailors this fiscal year.

‘The flak can’t always miss. Somebody’s gotta’ die’

An excerpt from 'I Will Tell No War Stories' by Howard Mansfield.

Senators push VA to fix problems with vets’ toxic exposure claims

A group of Senate Democrats wants quicker action from VA leaders on solutions to some problematic toxic exposure disability claims.

Load More