The commander of the U.S. Navy destroyer USS Mason has been relieved of duty, military officials announced Sunday.
They didn’t disclose the reasons for firing Capt. Chavius Lewis as the top officer of the guided-missile destroyer.
Lewis, who had led the ship for just 15 months, was canned Friday by Rear Adm. Alexis Walker, head of a carrier strike group, “due to a loss of confidence in Lewis’ ability to command,” according to a Navy press release.
The Navy – like the Pentagon’s other military services – often cites “loss of confidence” when relieving leaders of responsibilities without providing a specific explanation.
“The Navy maintains the highest standards for leaders and holds them accountable when those standards are not met,” the service said in the announcement.
Navy officials declined to provide further details about Lewis’ removal, according to Stripes.com.
The phrase “loss of confidence” is a standard, broad term used by the Navy that can encompass performance deficiencies, lapses in judgment, or command-climate issues, according to Douglas Lindsay, a retired U.S. Air Force lieutenant colonel.
“While the Navy emphasized that the leadership change ‘does not affect the ship’s operational schedule’ and that USS Mason remains fully mission capable, the removal of a commanding officer during such a high-stakes exercise carries significant operational and cultural implications,” Lindsay wrote in an analysis for Military.com. “The transition introduces friction, disrupts established command rhythm, and can create uncertainty among crew members, even if the mission continues.”
The Mason, a member of the Arleigh Burke destroyer class, was launched 25 years ago from Bath Iron Works.
The vessel was among three Navy ships that two years ago fired Tomahawk cruise missiles at Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen.
