Coast Guard removes commanding officer after cutter grounding

The following is the text of a press release issued by the U.S. Coast Guard:

 

(BOSTON) – The Coast Guard on Friday permanently relieved Senior Chief Petty Officer Christopher Bouchard as the officer in charge of the Coast Guard Cutter Moray, homeported in Jonesport, Maine.

Rear Adm. William G. Kelly, from Coast Guard Personnel Command, Washington, D.C., officially relieved Bouchard, who was in command when the Moray ran aground Feb. 20 near the Petit Manan Bar, southwest of Jonesport.

Bouchard is now temporarily assigned to the sector field office in Southwest Harbor, Maine, with no further disciplinary actions expected.

A new officer-in-charge selection is pending while Moray is undergoing repairs at the Coast Guard Yard in Baltimore, Maryland. Repairs are expected to be complete mid-June and a new officer in charge will be assigned.

It is rare for an officer in charge to be relieved of his or her post, and is always a carefully evaluated decision. While the service has high expectations for all of its members, the Coast Guard holds commanding officers and officers in charge to the highest standards.

By Professional Mariner Staff