The U.S. Navy has relieved Commander Adam Ochs of his command of the USS Santa Barbara (LCS 32) following what officials described as a “loss of confidence” in his ability to lead the littoral combat ship.
The announcement was made on from Manama, Bahrain, where the vessel is deployed under Commander, Task Force 55.
According to the Navy’s statement, Capt. Kelley Jones, Commander of Task Force 55, relieved Ochs of command, with Cmdr. Jeff Steiner temporarily assuming command until Cmdr. Linzy Lewis of the ship’s Gold Crew takes over.
The service said the decision “does not impact the ship’s mission or schedule,” emphasising that the Navy “maintains the highest standards for leaders and holds them accountable when those standards are not met.”
The USS Santa Barbara remains deployed in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations, covering the Arabian Gulf, Gulf of Oman, Red Sea, and parts of the Indian Ocean. Ochs, who had commanded the ship since November 2023, has been reassigned to Commander, Naval Surface Group Southwest.
The dismissal came as wider leadership turbulence continued within the U.S. Navy. On Friday, U.S. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth fired Jon Harrison, the Navy’s chief of staff, ending the tenure of a key figure in the Trump administration’s defence reshaping effort. Harrison, appointed in January, had reportedly sought major changes to the service’s policy and budgeting structures alongside Navy Secretary John Phelan, a political appointee confirmed in March.
In a statement to Politico, the Pentagon confirmed Harrison’s removal, saying only: “He will no longer serve as Chief of Staff to the Secretary of the Navy. We are grateful for his service to the Department.” His firing came just days after former naval officer Hung Cao was confirmed as undersecretary of the Navy, further signalling a period of significant internal adjustment for the service.
Hegseth firing anyone who has a spine it seems.
Listening to an ex buckshee junior officer berate the senior officers in the US military was truly embarrassing! Apparently he expected rapturous applause after his rant🙄
This is becoming Stalinesque in nature… that turned out well. US forces are in danger of losing all confidence in their ‘Commander in Chief’. Being lectured by a drunk and an overweight Military Service avoider must be so inspirational for them. Retired military leaders are being especially critical of the consequence of low morale. Doubt serving ones feel any different.
I would have paid good money to see everyone get up and walk out when Trump aka ‘The Bonespur Coward’ said “You can walk out but there goes your rank and your future.”
You guys are really out of touch with how the rank and file feels about the existing leadership of the US military. Most were not promoted there for their competence. There is a general disdain for the ruling class in the United States. 90% or more below 0-6 are on Hegseths side.
Recruiting is at an all time high right now.
Retention has been at an all time low from what I’ve seen and can glean from talking with a friend of mine that’s a junior officer. I really don’t see how a lot of what Hegseth is doing is going to solve the issue at all.
In my experience the ‘rank and file’ didn’t give any officers above the rank of Lt Col (the CO of the Regt/Battalion) any thought at all! Your officers all went through military academies and years of service to get where they are to question their competence and to call them the ruling class is a bit weird! Surely any officer replacing them will have came through the exact same system?
🤣
Hegseth couldn’t fight his way out of a Brown Paper Bag. Meanwhile Trump will be in his bunker accusing Steiner of betraying him and bemoaning officers who studied at West point just to learn how to eat properly with a knife and fork.
Of course the Austrian 🇦🇹 Corporal might have had more of a leg to stsnd on, he actually served in WWI while the Bone Spur Coward …
You’re presumably referring to the brown paper bag containing his bottle of meths…
I watched “A House of Dynamite” at the weekend… I dread to think how the drunk at the Pentagon and the coward at the White House would handle the scenario.
No it’s just the USN..they are literally fanatical about sacking commanding officers.. they are famous for it over the last 2 decades or so on average they relieve around 17 commanding officers a year. Some of them have been for completely inane reasons. I read a really interesting article on it, that pointed out the USN relieves more commanding officers than the US army, Airforce and marines combined.
It is very Stalinesque with a root and branch clear out shortly before a major conflict erupts. Of course Stalins changes were more permanent but of course Trump has time.
I’m on good terms with someone that knows the relieved officer and I don’t think this has anything to do with Hegseth to be honest. By the sounds of things, this particular case was always a matter of when, not if.
No idea what you’re worried about. What could possibly go wrong with firing numerous officers and damaging the morale of the navy when a potential conflict with China might be coming?
what is it with the American naval circus? captains sacked here and there so often it looks like a rotary system for ship commands exists. maybe they would be better looking at themselves and the qualifications of a suitable person to command a shop. it’s reassuring to know that the royal navy is not such an organisation
Did he say something critical of the Trump administration ?
probably.
Maybe he had a beard
” loss of confidence ” in his ability to lead. Proof that irony is dead in America. Especially after watching that Mutt and Jeff shitshow at Quantico by that imitation tough guy alcoholic and his incoherent, dementia addled leader.
Hegseth. The man who serrated the US Military fot bring too namby pamby, but could even bring himself to say Fuck Around and Find Out while addressing them.
It was equal parts horrifying and pathetic.
Berated not Serrated obvs.
I expect that in the entirety of those officer’s service they never had to listen to such empty performative bullshit from that strutting peacock especially. Someone who doesn’t know the difference between a chin up or a pull up and can’t do either.
Recruiting is at an all time high. 2025 is the first time since 9/11 that every US branch hit their recruiting targets.
Americans side with hegseth, not the Milley political class.
Perhaps if the UK wasn’t so busy throwing people in jail for writing mean words on the internet they could find a healthy stream of young men willing to fill their armed forces too.
What had that got to do with Hegseth? Certainly nothing to do with the current clown show!
The pattern began before Trump took office, data shows. Between 2020 and 2023, the army missed its annual recruitment goals. Last year, recruitment improved and it met its target. In June, the army announced it met its goals of enlisting 61,000 new recruits – four months earlier than expected.
So the point being recruitment was already on the up under Biden you numpty.
It was, once again, the “Maverick effect” that boosted recruitment.
No, seriously.
^this.
There is literally no one in the UK being thrown in jail for writing ‘mean words on the Internet ‘ you don’t know what you’re talking about. But there are plenty of people, US citizens being abducted off the streets by fat, bearded cos playing proud boys, or losing their jobs for being opposed to Trump.
You’re wrong. I live in the UK. It’s becoming extremely difficult here due to the Online Safety Act.
Lucy Connelly was sentenced to 31 months in prison for a tweet.
I don’t think this is entirely accurate.
Probably because the Mango Mussolini is slow-motion crashing the American economy and people seeing the military as a job that won’t be down-sized during a recession/ depression.
Embarrassing would be an understatement.
Childish, incoherent, pathetic, worrying are the words that spring to mind.
Mind you it might be a clever Tangine Tinted ploy, copyright Baldric, to get everyone else to be self sufficient in defence….who’d rely on that clown show?
Or was it a new show to provide evening entertainment in the for Mad Vlad and Xi?
what is it with the American naval circus? captains sacked here and there so often it looks like a rotary system for ship commands exists. maybe they would be better looking at themselves and the qualifications of a suitable person to command a shop. it’s reassuring to know that the royal navy is not such an organisation
Probably leaked that he didn’t vote for Trump. The US is the world’s largest asylum. God knows how they ever managed to evolve into a superpower!
To be fair, do they even need a navy anymore? It is not that much use against American cities and the civilians that reside in them. When you enemy is the American people a navy is not much use.
Well the coasts tend to vote Democrat so having USN destroyers sit off-shore to bombard the costal cities isn’t outside the realm of possibility.
Trump won’t the war to stop in Israel and Gaza but he’s starting one in hisCountry
Many Americans refuse to believe, understand, acknowledge your remark. Or afraid to say so, then get sued for $ 20 billion and arrested.
Xi will invade Taiwan as he will bet orange man will not defend it thus the mad rush to bring the chip making back.
I can’t imagine that the US would ever have been able to make a serious and sustained defence of Taiwan. Geography is on China’s side. Deterrence was the only real defence.
It is only a matter of time before China makes its move. What does Taiwan do faced with overwhelming odds, surrender quickly or fight knowing they will lose?
“What does Taiwan do faced with overwhelming odds, surrender quickly or fight knowing they will lose?”
– They get nukes.
what is it with the American naval circus? captains sacked here and there so often it looks like a rotary system for ship commands exists. maybe they would be better looking at themselves and the qualifications of a suitable person to command a shop. it’s reassuring to know that the royal navy is not such an organisation.
I am ex service from the UK and I must admit I am watching in horror with what is happening to the three american military services , i don’t understand how this has been allowed to happen, what on earth is going on in the United States?
the bean counters are getting their teeth into the American defence budgets and the navy is certainly feeling the punch already in 20 years our coastguard nav will be bigger than theirs
I never realized Trump Derangment Syndrome was so prominent in the UK.
Trump facts..
64 Times Mentioned In Epstein Report. 97 Times Pleaded The Fifth. 34 Felony Convictions. 91 Criminal Charges. 26 Sexual Assault Allegations. 6 Bankruptcies. 5 Draft Deferments. 4 Indictments. 2 Impeachments. 2 Convicted Companies. 1 Fake University Shut Down. 1 Fake Charity Shut Down. $25 Million Fraud Settlement. $5 Million Sexual Abuse Verdict. $2 Million Fake Charity Abuse Judgment. $93 Million Sexual Abuse Judgements. $400+ Million Fraud Judgment. First President in history to serve a full term increase the deficit every year he was in office. First President in history to maintain a debt to GDP ratio over 100% for his entire term. Highest annual budget deficit. Most added to the national debt in a single term.
Most new unemployment claims. Largest single day point drop in the history of the Dow.
There’s plenty more, feel free to check any of the above.
The only people with TDS are his dumb followers.
All that and Trump still beat whatshername last November.
The Epstein files are a dead horse. But, keep beating it.
Well he does love the poorly educated, and we can all see how education is not a requirement for MAGA., just gaslighting and deflection.
It must be a real chore going through life being so hateful. But, you do you.
It’s called being educated and aware. Not that you’d know much about that.
Posse, our Orange hero receives far too much blame. Without MAGA, he is just an old demented fascist. MAGA is the super power for old Donnie who is in poor health. He will not last much longer, his drooping face is of grave concern. There are powerful people on death watch.
TDS Is something Fascists say when they have no other argument.
Wow. When people are losing a debate on facts it’s not uncommon for them effectively to admit defeat by launching a ad hominem attack. But for you to use that as an opening tactic, against an entire nation, shows that deep down you know that you have no defence and no justification for your views.
megalomania is easy to diagnose. butt trump definitely has it,
Andy, it is Magalomaniac
The American Navy personnel in Bahrain spend too much time filling their faces at Friday brunches. Enormous obese people and even the women who couldn’t run 10 yards. American Alley with all the usual junk food outlets are packed to the gun whales, not to mention the McDonald’s on the base itself plus cheap liquor they enjoy by the 1.75 litre jugs.
The USN in Bahrain gives an annual presentation on how local suppliers can do business with the military but the process is so complicated that the average supplier can’t get past the online registration stage. Typically American they say how good they are with Hollywood smiles and plenty of marketing themselves rhetoric but actually a nightmare to deal with when it comes to selling your goods and services to them.
How well they will fight the next major war is a matter for conjecture with the likes Hegseth and DJT in the chairs.
The Gemerals get together was an example of how NOT to win friends and influence people. More like top down fear management rendering people to self destruct.
RIP USA your future foes are laughing in their dachas and campey bars.
the average American will use a car to go next door. perhaps sailors on American ships use roller skates for getting around on board.
These trimaran LCSs look like a Triton steroids. It’ll be interesting to see how big the T91 becomes in comparison to these.
Reassigned? Fired? Fkn AI Journalists
Erm, no, the author is very much real.