US sailors captured by Iran talked too much, suffered from weak leadership and had a 'lack of warfighting toughness', damning Navy probe finds

[superbeets]

US sailors captured by Iran talked too much, suffered from weak leadership and had a 'lack of warfighting toughness', damning Navy probe finds

• Sailors were captured by Iranian forces near Farsi Island back in January
• Navy investigation found mission was poorly planned and executed
• Probe identified 'failures at every level', from commanders who 'underestimated risk' to sailors who talked to much after being captured
• Route for mission was not properly mapped by commanders or sailors
• Mistakes were so broad that Navy will use mission as training in future

By CHRIS PLEASANCE FOR DAILYMAIL.COM and ASSOCIATED PRESS
PUBLISHED: 17:54, 30 June 2016 | UPDATED: 21:40, 30 June 2016




Weak leadership, poor judgment, a lack of 'warfighting toughness' and a litany of other errors led to the capture of 10 US sailors by Iran back in January, Navy investigators say.
In a report into the incident, released today, officials say the men were unprepared for interrogation, gave away information including the passwords to phones and laptops, and details about their vessel and mission.
The damning report concludes that 'decision makers at every level failed to intervene' in order to stop the mission from becoming an embarrassing failure.



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[superbeets]

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Failures at every level by Navy commanders and personnel led to the capture of 10 US sailors by Iran back in January, according to a scathing report released today

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Investigators found the mission was poorly planned, commanders underestimated the risks involved, sailors failed to navigate properly, and repeatedly breached protocol after being captured

The boat's commanders also broke protocol by agreeing to be filmed eating and looking happy by their Iranian captors, and agreeing to read a statement of apology in order to be released.
Both actions were ultimately unnecessary as the American government had already negotiated their unconditional release, according to the official Navy report into the incident, seen by Mail Online.
In fact the mission was so riddled with errors that the Navy now plans to use it as a test case in training as an example of what not to do.


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[superbeets]

Presenting the findings to the Pentagon, Admiral John Richardson said: 'Our actions on that day in January and this incident did not live up to our expectations of our Navy.
'Big incidents like this are always the result of the accumulation of a number of small problems.'
The sailors were captured in the Persian Gulf after unknowingly straying into Iranian international waters where one of their craft broke down, before captains ordered the other vessel to stop while repairs were carried out.
While sailors were attempting to repair the engine, multiple Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps craft approached with their weapons drawn, forced them to surrender, and then detained them on nearby Farsi Island.


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[superbeets]

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Both commanders and boat captains failed to map the route properly, allowing the boats to inadvertently stray into both Saudi and Iranian waters, where they were eventually captured

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The captains of the two captured boats were blasted in the report for 'failing to meet even the most basic requirements of leadership, planning and tactical execution'

The men were released the following day, but the captured proved a boon to Iranian state television which broadcast images of the American sailors on their knees as propaganda.
It also destabilized peace efforts in the region, coming at the same time as a prisoner swap between the U.S. and Iran, and as the Iranian nuclear deal came into effect.
Problems with the mission began even before the Riverine Command Boats 802 and 805 left port in Kuwait on a 259 nautical mile trip to Bahrain, the report states.
Captain Kyle Moses, commodore of the task force which included the two boats, ordered them to undertake the trip on short notice, despite there being no pressing reason for the mission.
The trip was the longest undertaken by the crews, and was so far outside of normal operating range for both boats that a refueling stop had to be organized at the halfway point.
The report says Moses: 'Demonstrated poor leadership by ordering the transit on short notice without due regard to mission planning and risk assessment.
'He severely underestimated the complexity and hazards associated with the transit.
'He lacked a questioning attitude, failed to promote a culture of safety, and disregarded appropriate backup from his staff and subordinate commands.'


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[superbeets]

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The captains agreed to be filmed eating and smiling while in captivity, and recorded a message of apology despite the government having already negotiated their unconditional release

Moses, who is not named in the report but was identified as the head of Commander Task Force 56 after being sacked last week, also failed to provide surface or air oversight for the boats.
Such monitoring 'would likely have prevented' the sailors' capture by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy, according to the report.
Planning for the trip had been rushed, meaning one of the vessels was not mission-ready and the crew had to spend the night before preparing it, the report says.
At least one Patrol Officer, who would ultimately oversee the mission, reported getting no sleep at all, while other sailors were not aware of a mandatory rest requirement before getting underway.
The RCB captains were savaged in the report, for 'failing to meet even the most basic requirements of leadership, planning and tactical execution.'
Investigators added: 'The two RCB Boat Captains made poor tactical decision during the transit that further compounded these problems.
'Unprepared and unaware the boat crews were late in responding to approaching [Iranian] patrol craft, delaying action to take up a heightened security posture.
'Their lack of adequate force protection left them few realistic options to avoid detention.'
In mission planning, commanders used a standard route that would have avoided territorial waters altogether, the report says.
However, this was changed at the last minute when the mission began running four hours late to make sure refueling could happen in daylight.
The course to the rendezvous was straightened, knocking around an hour off the mission time, but taking the craft into Iranian waters.
Commanders did not realize this, however, because they had not charted the course on paper and were instead relying on coordinates that did not indicate territorial waters or Farsi Island.


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[superbeets]

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Admiral John Richardson told Pentagon officials that the errors uncovered are so broad that he now intends to use the mission as a test case in training, saying: 'This will be something we can mine for a lot of lessons'

Both commanders and captains 'did not know where Farsi Island was located, nor understood its significance', the report states.
The course was changed even further during the trip, according to the report, but boat Patrol Officers failed to chart it, or report the changes to their superior officers.
When the engine failure occurred, boat captains failed to report it, and also did not report sighting Farsi Island because they wrongly believed it to be Saudi territory.
Because they were not aware of the impending danger, rather than getting the operational boat to two the broken one back into international water for repairs, the commanders instead allowed them to drift even closer to the island.
While adrift, neither boat captain ordered their gunners to don protective equipment, nor man their weapons, even when two craft were spotted approaching at high speed.
Only when the Iranian vessels were within several hundred yards of the boats did crew begin taking up positions, but stopped after being ordered to do so by their commanders, who believed they could 'talk their way out of' the situation.
Once in captivity, the report notes that the sailors were given three meals, and were encouraged to eat by their commanders, though the superiors asked them to stop after the Iranians began filming.
During the interrogation, crew gave inconsistent answers, and while many played dumb or refused to answer, several were truthful.
Passwords were given out to laptops and phones, while crew also shared details of the mission and RCB capabilities, the report states, in violation of American military protocol.
While the captors did threaten to send some crew to the Iranian mainland, nobody was harmed and weapons were not used to intimidate them.
Despite this, one of the boat commanders agreed to give a videotaped apology to the Iranians the following morning, falsely believing it would secure their release.
The report does lay some blame with the Iranians, however, saying that they violated international law and sovereign immunity by boarding and searching the two American boats.
While the commanders did not intend to be in Iranian waters, the report says, they have the right to 'innocent passage' and are allowed to stop if suffering a malfunction.
'Those boats and crewmembers had every right to be where they were that day,' Richardson said, even though they got there by mistake.


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[superbeets]

oakhill, Nottingham Pennsylvania, 6 hours ago
Let's face it. People today are nowhere near as tough as they were as recently as a couple decades ago, and can't hold a candle to the men who fought in either World War or the Vietnam War. We've become a nation of wimps, with only a few exceptions. Very few.


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Boondocker, Roscommon, United States, 6 hours ago
I served for eight years and if any sailor had conducted themselves like these did they would be a laughing stock. They would have been ashamed to show their faces among their shipmates. I am literally ashamed that these are sailors in my navy.


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Joe, Nirvana, United States, 6 hours ago
unprepared... weak leadership... poor judgement... lack of warfighting toughness... sums up Ø & his new "military"... the next potus has got a lot of house cleaning to do


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george0528, somewhere, United States, 6 hours ago
Sad commentary on the current toughness of the military. But I'll bet he got his sensitivity training, diversity training, and so forth.


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Sherry S., Memphis_Tn_USA, 6 hours ago
My father was in the Navy from 1952-1972. If he was still alive he'd have many choice words over this, and none of them would be good.


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[busterhyman]

most important question- were they allowed to use the bathroom of their choice

 

[Dave007inVegas]

most important question- were they allowed to use the bathroom of their choice