US: ‘Failed leadership’ led to sailors’ capture by Iran

By Kasim Ileri

WASHINGTON

A Navy report on American sailors detained by Iranian forces in the Persian Gulf found leadership failures multiple levels.

"This incident was the result of failed leadership at multiple levels from the tactical to the operational," the report said.

Noting a “lax culture” among U.S. sailors who routinely sail the Persian Gulf the report said that “they conducted no patrol briefings, and missions were supported by no formal mission analysis, standard planning factors, risk assessment, or over-watch."

Speaking to Pentagon reporters at a briefing about the report, Deputy Chief of Naval Operations Vice Adm. Chris Aquilino noted discrepancies between formalities and real conditions of forces and equipment.

“The report validated that pre-deployment training and certification was adequate and appropriate for the missions expected to be assigned,” Aquilino said. “However, the investigation also found that once deployed, sustainment training, including navigation, weapons, and rules of engagement training, was not conducted.”

He also sad that “material readiness” assessment was declined by the squadron during the deployment “due to lack of command involvement and oversight.

“A lack of leadership for geographically distributed forces resulted in degraded maintenance, poor morale, and declining standards, and the investigation also found poor coordination and communication between units and the operations centers that oversee these events,” the report found.

The investigation also revealed that the sailors’ conduct after being captured by the Iranians was not to military standards.

According to the report, they were off course just after they left the port in Kuwait and were not aware they were in Iranian waters although they were able to see Farsi Island with the naked eye.

After being captured by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps in January, the sailors remained under detention for 24 hours and were videotaped by Iranian forces -- some crying and one apologizing for entering Iranian waters.

Iranians’ actions and U.S. sailors’ behaviors left the Pentagon and the Barack Obama administration under fire at home as the incident took place amid discussions to loosen economic sanctions on Iran for its fulfillment of commitment to a nuclear deal signed last year.

The investigation found that some sailors had provided more information to the Iranians than they should have.

While they are not allowed to provide any information to foreign interrogators beyond their name, rank, service number and date of birth, some sailors disclosed the speed of their boats and passwords to their personal phones and laptops, the report said.

“Those sailors clearly know our actions on that day in January, and this incident did not live up to our expectations of our Navy,” Chief of Naval Operations Adm. John Richardson said at the Pentagon briefing.

On the other hand, he said that the Iranians violated the international law.

“These two boats and their crew members had every right to be where they were on that day,” Richardson said. “And the investigation concluded that Iran violated international law by impeding the boats' innocent passage transit, and they violated sovereign immunity by boarding, searching and seizing the boats and by photographing and videotaping the crew.”

Two sailors were fired from their posts after the incident and according to the report, six other crew member might face disciplinary actions.