U.S. Navy Removes Command Triad From Attack Sub After a Reported Grounding

Congress has just found out that the Navy removed all three of the top officers of the attack submarine USS South Dakota last month following a grounding, without letting its congressional oversight committees know of the underlying incident.

USS South Dakota is a Virginia-class attack submarine commissioned in 2019 and homeported in Groton, Connecticut. The South Dakota is well-regarded: under a previous commander who departed for a Pentagon tour in June, the crew secured a Battle "E" award for readiness and a "Hook-Em" award for anti-submarine warfare prowess.

The sub's current commanding officer, executive officer and top enlisted officer were all relieved of command on October 14, according to Representatives Adam Smith (D-WA) and Joe Courtney (D-CT). The reported grounding incident occurred sometime in September. The Navy confirmed the removal of Cmdr. Dan Goodwin in a press statement on Tuesday, citing loss of confidence - but did not confirm a grounding, nor the dismissal of the executive officer and the chief of the boat. Representatives Smith and Courtney learned of the incident from the press.

This story was originally published by The Maritime Executive. Read the full story at The Maritime Executive →