A Royal Navy submariner has been sent back to Faslane after he arrived ‘intoxicated’ at nuclear submarine HMS Vigilant while it was docked at the US Navy’s Kings Bay base in Georgia.
It has been reported that Lieutenant Commander Len Louw alarmed colleagues when he turned up to the submarine despite ‘still being intoxicated from a heavy drinking session’ and also ‘carrying a bag of BBQ grilled chicken’.
It is understood that Lt Cdr Louw was flown back to the vessel’s base in Faslane, Scotland.
An investigation has been launched.
You may have seen some reporting this morning on an incident on a submarine. While we don’t comment on the detail, there are numerous safety checks and processes to protect the safety and use of weapons aboard all submarines.
— Ministry of Defence Press Office (@DefenceHQPress) October 19, 2020
A Royal Navy spokesman said:
“An investigation is under way therefore it would be inappropriate to comment further. However, where an individual’s conduct falls short of the high standards we expect, we won’t hesitate to take the appropriate action. While we don’t comment on the detail, there are numerous safety checks and processes to protect the safety and use of weapons aboard all submarines.”
HMS Vigilant is one of the four Vanguard class submarines which house the UK’s Trident nuclear missiles.
Not being funny, but this is what the navy are famous for! its tradition
Aye, imagine turning up batfaced down the boat with some big eats. Terrible behaviour….. who’d do a thing like that….
Its a fair old schlep from the accommodation to the soggy bit where they keep the boats too, he must have got a lift. Don’t get me wrong, if he was going on to take the duty like that then he deserves to get his arse felt but he’s either pissed folk off in the past and they’ve taken the opportunity to drop him in it or he was being well out of order.
A mate sent me the link from the Daily Mail, complete with a picture of a bucket of fried chicken, just in case the readers didn’t have the wit to imagine what a bucket of chicken looked like. That’s one way to patronise your readers I guess.
Well it’s the daily mail so I wouldn’t be surprised…
Poor Guy is in enough trouble as it is without his name being plastered all over the press. Can we have a little bit of empathy here please – he made a mistake for sure but lets not blow it out of proportion.
problem is our stupid media have already done that,bascialy trying to make out he is the only one who can launch our trident blah blah,turning what maybe a silly bit of drunken behaviour into some sort of one man armageddon,because the media just love blowing things out of proportion,just like they did when QE was doing the flight trials over in the US
Nice detail about the BBQ Chicken. I’m not sure this incident really needs to make it into the news
KFC Bargain Bucket was how we finished a good night out down Union Street in GUZZ (Plymouth for those that don’t know). Hope he shared it with the QM and the rest of the mess!
Our role isn’t to hide embarrassing things.
It is your role to be human though.
A human that reports defence based items, yes.
Ever heard of treating others as you would like to be treated?
I’d imagine if my job involved nuclear weapons and if I had turned up still half cut then I’d rightfully be sent home.
You can’t set a off a nuke drunk alongside
A little pompous, aren’t we?
I8’m not the one suggesting this isn’t reported in a defence blog despite it receiving national news attention.
We’ve all done it…
I want to feel sorry for him but a Lt Commander in any RN sub knows better, chances are he’s 1 of the most senior on the boat. ??♂️
BBQchicken! A Dona Kebab or a pizza under your pillow for your breakfast the following morning is a far better choice.
Besides the bad food choice I suspect one of two things …he was either seriously hammered and so required a sentry to watch over him all night or he got lairy at the gangway and hacked off the OOD.
Requiring a sentry to ensure you don’t choke on vomit hacks everyone off in your mess so as he is in the wardroom that may be a reason. Alternatively getting lairy with the QM or OOD will also do it as you also end up in the Gangway Logbook and your actions recorded in the book are seen by the CO the next day.
Having done OOD duties on a Capital ship, having hammered officers coming back on board is always a nightmare. Besides the obligatory “do you know who I am…you cannot tell me what to do…” it also offers the opportunity to drop them in it so they are requested by the CO the following day to do your duties as recompense for giving you grief.
When did such prudes start running the RN? It isn’t like he was on duty. Besides the BBQ chicken in Georgia is delicious not as good as North Carolina but good.
He turned up to take command of the ships watch so drunk he couldnt stand up.
Vanity? Are you the one taking drugs? These are a strategic asset for national defense. Until everyone agrees to dismantle their nuclear arsenal, there is no reason to even consider this.
Talking of vanity, the SNP spending plans come to mind.
He should have brought back BBQ chicken for everyone that way he would have avoided problems ???
There is probably a lot of truth to this!
I’ve never served, but I have worked oil and gas offshore for nearly 10 years, and what Gunbuster et al say about the guy’s behaviour rings true; if he’d been less of a dick / trouble when turning up drunk then it would likely have been swept under the rug. Plenty of times guys turned up to the vessel drunk; it only became an issue when they were delivered by the police, threw up everywhere, caused trouble, were expected to go straight on duty and were unable to do so, or some other such thing.
Quietly heading for your cabin and not troubling anyone, or getting in a job lot of takeaway is the way to avoid this kind of trouble.
Mind you, things may be more stringent on a nuclera boat…
I think the phrase ‘unfit for duty’ is likely the telling phrase. I’m pretty sure ‘worse for wear’ is common enough and not requiring return to UK. It appears to me to be implied that he arrived at the Boat to commence duty in short order which would be a serious failure of judgement, if so. Poor guy – career in FUBAR territory perhaps.
So hard to find good help these days…..
First class! With a bargain bucket too like the icing on the cake.
Good luck Lt Cmdr, you are going to need it. Your next command may well be a dinghy. Hoist the mainsail, full speed ahead.
What exactly has illegal drug use got to do with this story ? There was no suggestion that this individual had taken illegal drugs.
As for it being endemic in the nuclear submarine force….drug taking is a societal issue not an Armed forces issue, generally speaking drug taking within the armed forces is lower than in other areas of society, as there is significant levels of oversight and scrutiny of the armed forces population compared everyone else and the consequences are far more significant ( loss of career and harsher sentencing).
For our nuclear deterrent to be described as a vanity project is just foolish, you may agree or disagree with it but it has served significant security and political purpose over the years.
Firstly and most importantly it helped to keep Western Europe free. It was the avowed aim of the Soviet Union to destroy our way of life, this it not a disputed fact, they clearly stated this aim. The only thing that stop Western Europe being invaded was our nuclear weapons.
Secondly it an important statement to America that we are interested in our own defence, this is important as we ask them to invest heavily in the defence of Europe.
Thirdly It keeps the U.K. around the table in nuclear disarmament discussions.
Most importantly we have not had to fight a major war with a peer nation in 75 years, this is an almost unheard of length of time, nuclear weapons are likely part of the mix that has allowed this ( nuclear powers must take care around each as the cost of conflict is to high).
Interesting the bbc report is a bit more circumspect, in that the it describes the individual as bring left of chicken from a barbecue the night before as part of a packed lunch and and although it mentions the individual had been drinking the night before and appeared to be staggering it does not state that he was drunk and suggest that the individual has returned home for a review of fitness for duty.
Yes the guy could have been drunk as a skunk from the night out. But It could be someone slipped him something nasty or he could have a health issue, could be his mum just died or he’s suffered some form of mental illness.
Trial by media without all the facts is a bit crappy.
Never let the truth get in the way of a good dit….
What madness is this Jonathan… no need to keep an open mind, there’s no fun in that when you can just join the dots and assume the worst.
I’d like to say I’d expect better from The Press but I’d by lying.
Or spend money on your medication, as you do seem to go through quite a lot. The troll does get boring and repetitive, but sadly your weak efforts at trolling the subject do make us have a quick laugh and a snigger.
More Trolley than Troll
Vigilant is getting quite the reputation at Kings Bay. Never been there, must be one hell of a fun port!
Cheers
Just like the RN in Halifax, its all part of the tradition of being a sailor !
Rig the grating and lay on with a will Bosun’s Mate.
What shall we do with the drunken sailor…what shall we do with the drunken sailor…what shall we do with the drunken sailor early in the mornin’ !
Shave his belly with a rusty razor
Early in the morning!
Vanity submarines?! You must have been drinking also.