Citing Naval Station Mayport, Florida Senator asks Navy to expand collision review

Jacksonville, FL — The Navy is conducting a review in the aftermath of two ship collisions that killed 17 Sailors, and now Florida Senator Marco Rubio wants to broaden that investigation to include Jacksonville’s Navy base, among others.

Rubio has written a letter to Secretary of the Navy Richard Spencer praising the review that is underway so far.

“While those who choose to serve in harm’s way are aware of the inherent risks of performing their duties, as you know, recent collisions involving U.S. Navy warships have called into question the current state of readiness of not only our ships but also their crews. I am increasingly concerned that these incidents could have been avoided,” the letter says.

In June, seven Sailors died when the USS Fitzgerald collided with a merchant ship. In August, the USS John S. McCain and an oil tanker crashed, killing ten Sailors. In the aftermath, the Chief of Naval Operations ordered an investigation in to the Pacific Fleet- under which both these ships served.

Now, Rubio wants the review to go beyond that.

“Florida is home to a significant number of military personnel and Naval Station Mayport, the second largest naval port on the East Coast. The safety of our sailors is of vital importance to me, and I request that you expand the scope of your evaluation so that it includes the ships such as those homeported at Naval Station Mayport,” the letter says.

Rubio is asking for ships across the globe to be assessed for watchstander proficiency and material readiness, to ensure ships can "safely navigate, communicate and operate". He also wants to ensure each ship is properly certified, to address fatigue concerns by ensuring Sailors get enough sleep with shipboard routines, and to put together a plan to regain any lacking proficiency.

Two senior commanders in the Pacific region were recently fired in connection to the two deadly collisions over a loss of confidence in their ability to command. That brings the total to six senior commanders who have now lost their posts because of these incidents, including the three top officers from the USS Fitzgerald.