The commanding officer of the San Diego-based destroyer Decatur was removed from command Thursday, the Navy announced in a statement.
Cmdr. John “Bob” Bowen was relieved of command due to a “loss of confidence in his ability to command,” according to a Navy statement. The term is a catch-all used by the military to justify commander firings without detailing a cause.
Navy Capt. Dan Cobain, the commander of Destroyer Squadron 21, ordered the relief, the statement said.
A spokesman for the San Diego-based 3rd Fleet declined to comment on any specifics about Bowen’s firing.
According to the Decatur’s website, Bowen reported on board as executive officer in October 2016, a role he served for a year and a half. He returned to the ship in May 2018 as the commanding officer.
Cmdr. Jerry Jackson, former commanding officer of the destroyer Sampson, will serve as interim captain until the Decatur’s current executive officer, Cmdr. Derek Rader, assumes command, the Navy said.
Bowen will be temporarily reassigned to an unspecified command in San Diego.
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