Commander, Carrier Strike Group 8 relieved USS Hue City’s (CG 66) executive officer of his duties June 26 as a result of an investigation into the April 14 fire aboard the ship.
Rear Adm. Vic Mercado, commander, Carrier Strike Group 8, found Lt. Cmdr. John Liddle, USS Hue City’s executive officer, guilty during non-judicial punishment proceedings for failure to comply with procedures that could have prevented the fire. A relief for LCDR Liddle has yet to be named.
The fire occurred as the ship was transiting the Atlantic Ocean on a scheduled deployment. The fire was the result of flammable material being stored in an unauthorized location, an exhaust uptake trunk. The fire was extinguished without significant injury.
[mappress] Press Release, June 27, 2014; Image: US Navy