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Ehime memorial When the nuclear attack submarine USS Greeneville pulls into Pearl Harbor later this month from its six-month western Pacific deployment, it will have three of the six crew members who were reprimanded for last year's collision with a Japanese vessel still on board.
unveiled as sub returns
The Greeneville heads home
after a year of accidentsBy Gregg K. Kakesako
gkakesako@starbulletin.comSince the collision a year ago Saturday with the 190-foot Ehime Maru, the Greeneville has had three captains, and the Navy has had to continually field questions about the seamanship of the crew of the 6-year-old nuclear attack submarine.
When the 6,000-ton Greeneville surfaced into the fisheries training vessel nine miles south of Diamond Head, 26 people were rescued. Nine died -- four 17-year-old Uwajima Fisheries High School students, two of their teachers and three Ehime Maru crew members. The collision sparked an international incident.
On Saturday, families of the nine victims as well as several students who survived the collision will attend a ceremony at Kakaako Waterfront Park where a monument paid for by the Uwajima government will be unveiled.
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At an April 23 admiral's mast following a rare court of inquiry last year, Cmdr. Scott Waddle, the charismatic skipper of the 130-member crew, was found guilty of dereliction of duty and negligently hazarding a vessel. He was allowed to retire on Oct. 1. He never went to Uwajima to apologize because his attorney was fearful of possible action against him by the Japanese government.Still aboard the Greeneville today are:
>> Senior Chief Petty Officer Douglas Coffman, the chief of the boat and the senior enlisted sailor on the Greeneville. He was given a reprimand for lack of administrative control and execution of the submarine's watch bill or work schedule.
>> Petty Officer Edward McGibboney, Greeneville's sonar supervisor, who allowed an untrained sonar operator to be on duty without proper supervision. He was given a reprimand.
>> Petty Officer Patrick Seacrest, Greeneville's fire control technician, who failed to warn Waddle that the Ehime Maru was 4,000 yards north of the sub on a collision course. He was faulted for failing to maintain a paper wall chart that gave an overview of the sonar contacts near the Greeneville. Seacrest was admonished and counseled for failing to provide the sub with safe navigational procedures.
Other members of the Greeneville singled out by the Navy for their part in the accident but who have moved on are:
>> Lt. Cmdr. Gerald Pfeifer, who was the executive officer of the Greeneville, and second in command. He is currently on shore duty. He was given a reprimand for lack of oversight and execution of the sub's watch bill.
>> Lt. j.g. Michael Coen, who was officer of the deck of the Greeneville when the collision occurred, was promoted to lieutenant and is also on shore duty. He was given a reprimand for failing to stand an attentive watch on the day of the accident.
Pfeifer was given another letter of reprimand in September following an Aug. 27 accident when the 362-foot submarine ran aground entering Saipan harbor. The Greeneville's navigator and assistant navigator -- whom the Navy never did identify -- also were given punitive letters of reprimand like Pfeifer.
Cmdr. David Bogdan, who was assigned as skipper of the Greeneville in April, was taken before an admiral's mast in September, found guilty of hazarding a vessel and relieved of his command. The Greeneville had to be taken to Guam where it underwent $120,000 worth of repairs before returning to service Dec. 7 with Cmdr. Lindsay Hankins at the helm.
Following the Feb. 9 collision with the Ehime Maru, the Navy had to spend $2 million to prepare the Greeneville for a six-month western Pacific deployment. It left Aug. 15 and is expected back at Pearl Harbor this month. For security reasons, the Navy does not disclose the schedule of its ships, especially submarines.
Also given a rebuke for the Ehime Maru sinking was Capt. Robert Brandhuber, chief of staff of the Pacific Submarine Fleet, "for failing to professionally carry out his duties." He was a passenger on the Greeneville that day, and as the senior Navy officer, Brandhuber should have told Waddle that it was improper for him to take the sub to its classified depth and speed to show off for the 16 visiting civilians.
Rear Adm. Albert Konetzni, who as Pacific Fleet Submarine Forces commander was Waddle's mentor and championed the Navy's "distinguished visitors" program, is now Atlantic Fleet deputy commander and chief of staff.
Konetzni left for his new Atlantic Fleet post April 25 with his third star. Until the accident occurred, the Greeneville was supposed to have been the stage for Konetzni's final act when he relinquished command of the Pacific Fleet's submarine force.
Adm. Thomas Fargo, Pacific Fleet commander, in a written statement this week, said: "We are still gripped by sadness over the resulting loss of life from the collision between our submarine and Ehime Maru, and at the same time, grateful for the friendship with our Japanese allies that is today stronger than ever. Just as the world has come together in response to the 9/11 terrorist attacks, our relationship with Japan was ultimately strengthened as a result of our partnership, dedication, hard work and perseverance in the successful recovery of the Ehime Maru."
The Navy has already spent more than $60 million to recover the bodies of eight of the nine Japanese men and boys who were killed in the collision. Included in that amount is $104,000 that was spent paying for the plane fare, lodging, meals, cremation expenses and phone cards for 36 family members whom the Navy supported for a little more than a week last fall while recovery operations were being conducted.
But the Navy says not all of the bills are in.
Lt. Pauline Storum, Pentagon Navy spokeswoman, said this week the negotiations with the survivors and family members who were killed are continuing.
She said the Navy does not plan to release any information about the number of claims filed or the amount sought until after the two-year statute of limitations has expired next year.
At that point the Navy will only reveal "the total number of claims and how much we settled for," Storum said.
Navy Secretary Gordon England has the authority to settle and pay claims in which the settlement does not exceed $1 million and the matter is in litigation. Claims exceeding $1 million are referred to the U.S. Department of Justice.
Some of the families who lost their sons have threatened to take the matter to court since they were not satisfied by the Navy's actions.
In addition, the Pacific Command spent more than $11,000 in medical bills to treat 17 of the 26 survivors in the days immediately following the collision.
The Ehime Maru now rests in 8,000 feet of water where it was relocated 12 miles off the coast of Kalaeloa.