The United States Navy has quietly fired or removed some senior officers, including commanders, in recent months, drawing pushback from Congress.
Two Democratic lawmakers said Thursday that the Navy failed to inform Congress that it dismissed the entire leadership team of a nuclear-powered attack submarine last month after an underwater collision.
In September, the maritime force also fired the commander of a destroyer deployed to West Asia, a defense official, who asked not to be named, told the Associated Press.
The Navy relieved Cmdr. Caitlin Cunningham, commander of the USS Michael Murphy destroyer, which has been deployed to support military aggression against Iran, due to a loss of confidence, the official added. She had been in the job less than a year.
Dr. Brian Monahan, a Navy rear admiral and attending physician for Congress and the Supreme Court, also left his post during a Navy investigation what was not publicly announced or confirmed.
The incidents constituted a violation of the Navy’s longstanding policy to announce major removals of commanders and other prominent officials.
They also came amid an increasing level of secrecy over military operations, especially in West Asia, as Washington has failed to achieve the goals of its aggression against Iran.
“As a result of the Navy’s failure to communicate, what should have been a standard exercise in information sharing has instead raised questions about the Navy’s commitment to transparency and its commitment to a productive working relationship with Congress,” Reps. Joe Courtney of Connecticut and Adam Smith of Washington wrote in a letter to Navy leaders.
Courtney and Smith, in the letter addressed to acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao and the Navy’s top uniformed officer Adm. Daryl Caudle, expressed their “deep frustration” over the Navy’s failure to notify the House Armed Services Committee about the firing of the commander, second in command and top enlisted sailor of the USS South Dakota submarine.
According to the letter, the dismissals occurred after the submarine ran into something on the seabed, but the Navy would not offer public comment.
The incidents could set up a contentious confirmation hearing next week for Cao, who seeks to permanently take over as the top civilian official.
The developments come as media reports said Pentagon is hiding casualties and damage caused by Iranian strikes that took place in retaliation for the US-Israeli aggression against the Islamic Republic.
The US and Israel launched another round of aggression against Iran on February 28, some eight months after carrying out unprovoked attacks on the country.
Iran swiftly retaliated by launching barrages of missiles and drones at the Israeli-occupied territories, as well as US bases and interests across the region.
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