One of the five US Navy commanders who were fired last week was relieved of his position after being caught drunk driving, it has been claimed.
Commander Peter Lesaca, commanding officer of the guided missile destroyer USS Preble, has been relieved of his duties “due to a loss of confidence in his ability to command,” according to a Navy statement released Tuesday.
On Wednesday, Navy spokesman Cmdr. Arlo Abrahamson told Military.com the commander’s removal came after he was arrested on suspicion of drink driving.
The reasons for the sacking of the other four were not given and it remains unclear whether Lesaca has been convicted of the charges he faces or what stage the case is at.
“Commanding officers of the Navy are held to high standards of personal and professional conduct,” the Navy said.
“They are expected to uphold the highest standards of responsibility, reliability and leadership, and the Navy holds them accountable when they fail to meet those standards.”
Commander Peter Lesaca, commanding officer of the guided missile destroyer USS Preble, was relieved of his duties on June 14 “due to a loss of confidence in his ability to command.” On Wednesday, a Navy spokesman said he was caught drunk driving
Lesaca worked on the Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer USS Preble before it was fired. Pictured: The USS Preble departing San Diego Naval Base in 2013
One of the commanding officers, who was fired on June 8, was reportedly fired for improper conduct.
The Navy noted in a statement Tuesday that the reorganization will have no impact on the command’s mission or schedule.
Capt. Larry Repass, deputy commodore, Destroyer Squadron 23, will assume duties as commanding officer until permanent and qualified relief arrives, the statement said.
The Navy did not say where Lesaca would be reassigned.
Commander Peter Lesaca
A native of San Diego, California, Lesaca graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 2003 with a Bachelor of Science in History.
He has served on several destroyers including USS Laboon and USS Gonzalez in Norfolk, Virginia, USS Harpers Ferry in Japan, USS Decatur in San Diego and USS Chung-Hoon in Pearl Harbor.
Lesaca has received several awards over the years, his bio states, and received the Vice Admiral Kihune Award for Leadership in 2012. He also received the 2013 Navy League of the United States John Paul Jones Award for Inspirational Leadership.
The commander’s discharge comes just three days after Capt. Jeffrey Sandin, commanding officer of Navy Recruit Training Command, was fired on June 11 “due to a loss of confidence in his ability to command.”
Captain Kertreck Brooks, Chief of Staff, Naval Service Training Command, took over Sandin’s duties.
A native of San Diego, California, Lesaca graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 2003 with a Bachelor of Science in History
Captain Jeffrey Sandin
Sandin, a native of Bloomville, New York, enlisted in the US Navy in 1986. He graduated from the University of Maryland with a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration in 2003 and in 2016 from Regent University with a Master of Arts in Organizational Leadership.
He was commissioned through the Limited Duty Officer Program in 1997. He has previously served aboard the former USS Nashville (LPD-13), the former USS John F. Kennedy (CV-67), the USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71), and the USS Harry S. Truman (CVN-75). his Navy biography.
In 2021 he assumed command of the Recruit Training Command. Since his discharge in June 2022, Sandin has been posted to the Naval Service Training Command Headquarters.
A day before Sandin’s release, on June 10, the commanding officer of the destroyer USS Bulkeley, Cmdr. Devine Johnson and Command Master Chief Earl Sanders were also both fired “due to a loss of confidence in their ability to serve effectively as the command’s executive team.”
Captain Jeffry Sandin, commanding officer of Navy Recruit Training Command, was fired on June 11, three days before Lesaca was fired
Commander Devine Johnson
A native of Timmonsville, South Carolina, Johnson joined the Navy in 2003. According to his Navy biography, he became Commanding Officer of USS Bulkeley in August 2021.
Johnson was temporarily posted to the commander’s staff, Naval Surface Force Atlantic.
Capt. William ‘Mac’ Harkin, currently Deputy Commodore, Destroyer Squadron Two, is serving as acting acting officer until a permanent relief is found.
On June 10, the commanding officer of the destroyer USS Bulkeley, Cmdr. Devine Johnson was fired “due to a loss of confidence in her ability to serve effectively as a command leadership team.”
Command Master Chief Earl Sanders
A native of LaGrange, Georgia, Sanders was drafted in November 1997.
He completed basic training at Recruit Training Center Great Lakes, Illinois and attended Electrician’s Mate ‘A’ School at Naval Training Center Great Lakes, Illinois, according to his Navy biography.
Sanders previously served on the USS Mount Whitney in Norfolk, Virginia, the USS Port Royal in Pearl Harbor and the USS WASP in Japan.
Prior to USS Bulkeley, Sanders served as Command Master Chief with Electronic Attack Squadron ONE THREE ZERO based in Whidbey Island, Washington.
He has an Associates of Science degree in Electrical/Mechanical Technology from Coastline Community College.
Sanders’ awards include the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal (4 awards), the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal (4 awards), and several other unit and campaign awards.
He has served as Bulkeley Command Master Chief since June 2021 and will be replaced by Master Chief Petty Officer Christy Reed.
Command Master Chief Earl Sanders, who alongside Cmdr. Devine Johnson on the destroyer USS Bulkeley was also fired from his position
Both Johnson and Sanders worked on USS Bulkeley (DDG 84)
The firing sequence began with Cmdr. Matthew McCormick, leader of the Electronic Attack Squadron, who was relieved of his duties on June 8 “due to a loss of confidence in his ability to command”.
A Navy official told USNI News that McCormick was relieved of improper conduct, which is still under investigation.
Commander Matthew McCormick
McCormick, who had been the commanding officer of VAQ-137 since September 2021, was temporarily assigned to Electronic Attack Wing Pacific at Naval Station Whidbey Island, Washington.
A native of Garland, Texas, he has a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Sociology and was commissioned by Officer Candidate School for flight training in June 2004.
McCormick made three sorties aboard the USS RONALD REAGAN and participated in Operation ENDURING FREEDOM. During this tour, CDR McCormick was selected for the VAQ 139 Junior Officer Leadership Award.
He has accumulated 1,039 flight hours in the EA-6B, over 1,100 hours in the EA-18G and 457 landings with aircraft carriers, including 51 combat sorties.
McCormick’s awards include the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Strike/Flight Air Medal, Navy Commendation Medal, Navy/Marine Corps Achievement Medal, and various service awards and ribbons.
He currently resides in Anacortes, Washington with his wife and three children.
Commander Scott Maynes is currently serving as acting commander until a permanent replacement is assigned.
The firing sequence began with Cmdr. Matthew McCormick, leader of the Electronic Attack Squadron, who was relieved of his duties on June 8th
McCormick has served as VAQ-137’s commanding officer since September 2021 (pictured).
The Navy has given no further details as to why the officers were fired or why there have been so many layoffs in a short period of time.
Back in February, the US Navy issued a similar series of layoffs that relieved three commanding officers of their duties, citing “a loss of confidence” in the leaders’ abilities.
Then-Navy spokesman Lt. Cmdr. Paul Newell said that while it’s unusual to exonerate an entire triad at once, it’s nothing unusual.
“It’s not unprecedented,” he told .
‘It’s happened before. Obviously undesirable, but the Navy holds its leadership and triad members to the highest standards. That hasn’t changed.”
Back in February 2022, the US Navy issued a similar series of shots that relieved three commanding officers of their duties. Pictured: Captain Jeffrey Lengkeek, Commander Master Chief Matthew Turner and Commander Michael Jarosz were all discharged in February
Then-Navy spokesman Lt. Cmdr. Paul Newell said that while it’s unusual to exonerate an entire triad at once, it’s nothing unusual
Commanding Officer Capt. Jeffrey Lengkeek — a Stanford-trained civil engineer who joined the Navy’s Civil Engineering Corps in 1996 — was among the unit leaders fired on Feb. 3.
Also fired were Executive Officer Commander Michael Jarosz and Commander Master Chief Matthew Turner.
The Navy began investigating the triad on December 15 last year but would not say what prompted the investigation, only that the men do not face criminal charges, he said.