THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1997, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, January 11, 1997 TAG: 9701110262
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A9 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JACK DORSEY, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: 65 lines
The Navy has called on Reserve Rear Adm. Martin E. Janczak to take command of naval forces on Guam as it continues to wrestle with what to do with the officer originally intended for the job.
Capt. Ronald L. Christenson, former commanding officer of the Norfolk-based carrier Theodore Roosevelt, had been selected for the post last year and for promotion to rear admiral.
But a collision Oct. 14 of the TR and the cruiser Leyte Gulf brought Christenson a letter of reprimand, following an investigation by Vice Adm. Vern Clark, commander of the 2nd Fleet.
Clark, who similarly punished the commanding officer of the Mayport, Fla.-based cruiser and two other officers, concluded his investigation Monday by sending the officers' files to the Bureau of Naval Personnel in Washington, where their futures will be decided.
Janczak, a two-star rear admiral who was called up for active duty, lives in Temple, Texas.
Christenson stepped down from command of the TR on Nov. 1, in a routine, long-planned command change that was to have seen him pin on his first admiral's star and taken command of U.S. Naval Forces Marianas.
However, when the investigation found him ``derelict'' in the performance of his duties for ``negligently'' hazarding his ship, Christenson's naval career suddenly came into doubt.
The collision occurred about 3 a.m. off North Carolina when the carrier went in reverse to conduct an engineering maneuver. The Leyte Gulf, steaming behind the carrier, was unaware of the exercise and slammed into the carrier's stern.
About $9 million in damage was sustained by the carrier and $2 million by the cruiser. Both ships were repaired and went to sea in November, as planned, on a six-month deployment to the Mediterranean Sea.
Christenson was temporarily reassigned to the 2nd Fleet staff pending the investigation. He was recently reassigned to the Pentagon, pending further action by the Bureau of Naval Personnel. His promotion to rear admiral had been confirmed by the Senate when the ship collision occurred.
If the Navy decides to remove his star, Navy Secretary John Dalton will have to ask Congress for permission to do so.
Although Christenson was not detached for cause, the Navy experienced an unusual number of incidents in which it did fire commanding officers during 1996.
According to the Navy Times, 15 officers were removed last year from command of bases, aviation squadrons, ships, submarines or flag-level commands. In 1995 it removed 14; in 1994 and 1993 it removed five each year and in 1992 it removed 10.
The 1996 figures may not include the Roosevelt/Leyte Gulf collision, nor at least two others that occurred late in the year. Because those cases have yet to be endorsed by the chief of naval personnel - the final reviewing authority - their cases will be counted in 1997.
Essentially, detachment for cause is paramount to being fired from a specific job within the Navy. While it is generally considered to be a career stopper, with no further advancement in rank expected, such officers may be allowed to remain on active duty pending retirement.
Christenson, a naval aviator since 1971, a former executive officer aboard the TR and commanding officer of the Japan-based amphibious transport dock ship Dubuque before becoming the Roosevelt's skipper in July 1994, summed up the disaster with the following remark at his change of command:
``With the exception of a couple of hours, the past 28 months have been the most rewarding of my life.'' u.s. navy guam