‘Lewd’ videos shame US navy captain
Naval officer is relieved of his command after producing ‘inappropriate’ films on board aircraft carrier.
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| Two women in a shower are seen in a still image taken from one of the videos produced by Honors [Reuters] |
The US Navy has stripped a naval captain of his command of an aircraft carrier over “inappropriate” videos he produced on board the vessel.
Captain Owen Honors was on Tuesday relieved of his command of the USS Enterprise, Admiral John Harvey said in a statement read to reporters in Norfolk, Virginia, the home port of the nuclear-powered ship.
“His profound lack of good judgment and professionalism while previously serving as executive officer of the Enterprise calls into question his character and undermines his credibility,” Harvey said.
Honors’ videos, made in 2006 and 2007 and shown to the carrier’s 6,000 sailors, are laced with slurs against gays, scenes of simulated masturbation and sailors shown showering together.
‘Poor judgment’
The videos were produced when Honors was the ship’s number two officer and were meant to offer comic relief to the crew.
After reviewing the videos, Harvey said: “I have lost confidence in his ability to lead effectively, to command Enterprise.”
“He is being held accountable for the poor judgment and inappropriate actions repeatedly demonstrated in those videos,” he said.
The USS Enterprise is due to be deployed to the Arabian Sea in support of the war in Afghanistan.
Captain Dee Mewbourne, the former commander of another aircraft carrier, the USS Dwight Eisenhower, was named as Honors’s successor.