The Navy announced on Friday that it fired the commodore of First Naval Construction Regiment “due to a loss of confidence in his ability to command,” according to a release.
Capt. Douglas Whimpey was relieved by Capt. Angel Santiago, commander of Naval Construction Group, and will be succeeded in the role by Capt. Steven Sherman.
“Navy leaders are expected to uphold the highest standards of responsibility, reliability, and leadership personally and professionally, and the Navy holds them accountable when they fall short of those standards,” the announcement read.
The Navy did not expound on the circumstances that led to Whimpey’s firing. The service often wields the “loss of confidence” term as a blanket statement when relieving commanding officers.
Whimpey took over as commodore for First Naval Construction Regiment — based in Port Hueneme, California — in 2023.
He previously served with the First Naval Construction Regiment in Fallujah in 2005 and 2006, according to comments he offered during a change of command ceremony on Sept. 23, 2023.
Whimpey’s firing had no bearing on operations, the service said. He has been reassigned to the staff at Navy Construction Group 1.
Riley Ceder is a reporter at Military Times, where he covers breaking news, criminal justice, investigations, and cyber. He previously worked as an investigative practicum student at The Washington Post, where he contributed to the Abused by the Badge investigation.
