On February 3, Navy brass fired the “entire command team” of one of their Amphibious Construction Battalions. Officials aren’t saying much about why and the word “vaccine” hasn’t even been mentioned.
Navy lost confidence
The official Navy department statement declares that Captain Jeffrey Lengkeek, Commander Michael Jarosz and Command Master Chief Matthew Turner of Amphibious Construction Battalion 2 were relieved of duty,
The decision was made by the commander of Expeditionary Strike Group 2 “due to loss of confidence in their abilities to effectively perform their leadership roles.”
Insiders note that CO Lengkeek and his XO Jarosz “had both served in their respective positions since July 2020.” Meanwhile, Turner “had served as the battalion’s command master chief since July 2019.”
Amphibious Construction Battalion 2 is one of two such “Seabee” battalions in the Navy and is based at Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek, in Virginia Beach, Virginia.
Lieutenant Commander Paul Newell, who serves as public affairs officer for Amphibious Construction Battalion 2 notes on Monday that the officers were relieved resulting from a “formal command investigation.”
He didn’t divulge any further details but did confirm that “all three have been temporarily assigned to the headquarters of Navy Region Mid-Atlantic at Naval Station Norfolk in Norfolk, Virginia.”
Combat engineers
Navy “Seabees” act as combat engineers and assist with things like “ship-to-shore operations, reinforcing positions, and providing other logistical support involved in frontline and support operations, including handling bulk fuel and water needs, as well as salvage.”
If you need an airstrip yesterday, they’re the guys to call. Ever since 1942, they’ve been everywhere from Korea to Afghanistan.
This current and surprising shakeup comes on the heels of “a series of high-profile firings in the Navy,” Task and Purpose relates.
Five commanders were relieved of duty between December 10, 2021 and January 6. That last date has folks wondering if the Seabees were fired for being Trump supporters.
The Navy has already verified that the executive officer of the destroyer USS Winston Churchill “was fired for refusing to get tested for the COVID-19 virus.”
Both the captain and executive officer of the littoral combat ship USS Montgomery “were relieved for allegedly mishandling a sexual harassment complaint.“
