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Military

Commanding Officer Of California Navy Base Fires Himself

Cmdr. Burt L. Espe and his family receive an outstanding achievement award by retired Cmdr. Gil Gonzales, president of the Filipino American Military Officer Association in 2007.
U.S. Navy
Cmdr. Burt L. Espe and his family receive an outstanding achievement award by retired Cmdr. Gil Gonzales, president of the Filipino American Military Officer Association in 2007.

Believing that Naval Surface Warfare Command Center Port Hueneme would "be better served by a new CO," Capt. Burt Espe resigned his post as commanding officer of the Navy base last month.

In an Aug. 14 email obtained by the Navy Times, Espe wrote to the nearly 2,000 employees under his command the reason why he decided to quit:

“As you know, procedural compliance is a monumental issue at this time, not just for Port Hueneme, but for the Navy. Leading Port Hueneme Division is a significant responsibility but with the increased emphasis required for success in this area, I believe you will be better served by a new CO with a fresh perspective.”

Espe had been the commanding officer of NSWC-Port Hueneme for 16 months, and still had a year to go before he was to officially hand over his command to someone else.

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Naval Sea Systems Command spokeswoman Erin Jones told the Navy Times that Espe's stint as commanding officer was not a smooth one:

The command, which focuses on the maintenance and testing of surface ships’ combat systems, suffered a series of lapses, from improper electrical safety tag-outs to an incident in which water got into a vertical launch system cell, the result of breaking with standard procedures...

But the most jarring failure was NSWC-PH’s part in the “rogue drone” incident that caused $30 million in damage to the (San Diego-based) cruiser Chancellorsville and wrecked the ship’s brand-new computer central.
According to a 2013 Navy news release, Espe is a resident of Bonita in San Diego County, and graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1987.

Navy Capt. Scott Davis is serving as temporary CO of NSWC-Port Hueneme until the Navy brings in a permanent replacement.