US officials: Navy 7th Fleet commander to be removed

August 23, 2017 at 12:58 a.m. | Updated August 23, 2017 at 1:05 a.m.

by Associated Press

FILE - In this June 18, 2017, file photo, U.S. Navy Vice Adm. Joseph Aucoin, Commander of the U.S. 7th Fleet, speaks during a press conference, with damaged USS Fitzgerald as background at the U.S. Naval base in Yokosuka, southwest of Tokyo. U.S. officials said that Aucoin is to be relieved of duty after series of ship accidents in the Pacific. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko, File)
FILE - In this June 18, 2017, file photo, U.S. Navy Vice Adm. Joseph Aucoin, Commander of the U.S. 7th Fleet, speaks during a press conference, with damaged USS Fitzgerald as background at the U.S. Naval base in Yokosuka, southwest of Tokyo. U.S. officials said that Aucoin is to be relieved of duty after series of ship accidents in the Pacific. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko, File)

TOKYO (AP) - U.S. officials confirm the commander of the Navy's 7th Fleet will be removed after a series of warship accidents in the Pacific.

One official said Wednesday that Vice Adm. Joseph Aucoin was being removed due to the leadership's loss of confidence in his ability to command. The two officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the decision.

The move follows two fatal collisions involving Navy ships. Seven sailors died in June after the USS Fitzgerald collided with a ship off Japan. The USS John S. McCain and a tanker collided Monday off Singapore and the remains of some missing sailors have been found.

The decision to remove Aucoin was first reported by The Wall Street Journal.

___

Associated Press writers Lolita Baldor in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and Robert Burns in Amman, Jordan, contributed to this story.

Upcoming Events