Navy ship ordered back to Canada after misconduct by sailors*

The head of the Royal Canadian Navy has taken the rare step of ordering one of its ships to return from an international exercise because of misconduct by its sailors.

Vice Admiral Mark Norman issued the message Monday, citing three incidents involving the crew of HMCS Whitehorse that took place during Exercise RIMPAC 2014.

The message, leaked to the Ottawa Citizen, also noted that Norman was appointing a senior officer to look at what is behind recent incidents involving the breakdown of professional and personal conduct in the navy.

RIMPAC is the world’s largest multinational naval exercise and takes place mainly in Hawaii. But some aspects of the exercise are conducted off the coast of California and on July 1, HMCS Whitehorse was docked in San Diego.

Whitehorse arrived early Monday at its home port of CFB Esquimalt, B.C., navy officials confirmed Monday night.

Norman didn’t provide details about the incidents in question.

Navy officials, however, told the Citizen that two occurred on board the ship. The other involved the arrest of a Canadian sailor by U.S. police.

In his message, Norman said he recently reflected with tremendous satisfaction about the many recent accomplishments of navy personnel, both at home and abroad.

“And so, it is with great disappointment that I must now signal why I took the difficult decision to return HMCS Whitehorse to Esquimalt from Exercise RIMPAC 2014, following three incidents of personal misconduct ashore,” he wrote in the navy-wide message to sailors. “While the actions of a few sailors in Whitehorse was the trigger for my decision, I recalled her home because I am troubled that across the RCN a small number of our personnel have fallen short of the timeless expectations of naval service and have failed in their roles as ambassadors of their navy and country — no matter where they serve.”

Norman said in his message he is satisfied that when incidents of personal misconduct occur, they are addressed by individual commanders quickly, firmly and fairly.

But he wrote that when such incidents are considered collectively, they raise a deeper concern. Norman noted that such incidents could distract the navy from operational excellence and put the health and safety of individuals at risk.

Because of that, Norman said he is appointing a senior officer to conduct a review of “policies and procedures that underpin the hands-on leadership of our personnel.”

That reviewing officer will “ensure that we are doing everything we can, and should, to provide clear expectations and direction for all personnel as it relates to professional conduct and responsibility, both on and off duty,” he added.

Norman noted that the actions of sailors reflect not only on themselves but as well on the navy and Canada.

Norman will receive the preliminary findings from the review in September.

He noted that the vast majority of sailors are “exemplary ambassadors” for Canada but the navy must go further in reinforcing what is and is not acceptable conduct.

There have been other high-profile incidents of misconduct recently. In May a Royal Canadian Navy officer was given a severe reprimand and a $5,000 fine for deserting his post on a supply vessel after alleging he faced harassment and ridicule.

Lieut. Derek de Jong told his court martial that prior to deserting on Sept. 17, 2012, he was subjected to behaviour that at one point involved a female colleague urinating in his cabin. HMCS Preserver was docked at Key West, Fla., when he left the ship.

The navy later said it would investigate the urination incident.

Canada is contributing a frigate, submarine, aircraft and maritime coastal defence vessels to the RIMPAC 2014 exercise, which ends in August. HMCS Whitehorse is a maritime coast defence vessel.

Twenty-two nations, 49 surface ships, six submarines, more than 200 aircraft and 25,000 personnel are participating in RIMPAC, according to the U.S. Navy.

* Notícia publicada a Ottawa Citizen. El fet que el Canadà faci tornar una de les seves naus per un cas d'indisciplina, lluny de preocupar-nos, és una bona mostra de que la marina d'aquell país es preocupa molt del seu personal. Qui mínimament conegui la RCN, no se'n estranyarà. Aplaudim la brevetat i la discreció amb que l'almirallat canadenc condueix aquest afer.