Last January we posted about two US Navy Riverine Command Boats (RCBs) with a combined crew of ten sailors which were apprehended by Iranian Revolutionary Guard boats in the Gulf. One or both of the RCBs had suffered a mechanical failure and had drifted into Iranian waters. The sailors were released unharmed after 16 hours in custody.  Now the Navy has completed its five month study of the incident. Last week the head of 5th Fleet fired Capt. Kyle Moses, the commander of the task force in charge of the riverine squadron.  Now a total of nine Navy officers and enlisted personnel are facing disciplinary charges.

The report concluded that shoddy navigation, poor maintenance and a lack of oversight created a chain of errors that resulted in the the two U.S. Navy patrol boats being seized at gunpoint in Iranian territorial waters. As reported by Navy Times:

Among the key findings of the investigation:

• The sailors from Coastal Riverine Squadron 3 did not brief or even plan their route from Kuwait to Bahrain. While the original route would have avoided Iran’s territorial waters around Farsi Island, the crew immediately deviated from their original course to make up for a late start.
• The crew did not report regularly to their operational handlers on shore when they sighted land unexpectedly.
• Task Force 56, the riverine squadron’s immediate superior in 5th Fleet, tasked the sailors beyond their capabilities and limitations and fostered a “can do/will do” culture.
• The tactical operations center charged with tracking the transit failed to do so and reacted poorly when things started going wrong.