US: Pacific Fleet Commander suddenly retires

(Baonghean.vn) - US media reported on September 26 that after learning that he would not be promoted to a higher command position, Commander of the US Navy's Pacific Fleet, Admiral Scott Swift, suddenly announced his retirement.

In a statement sent to the media on September 25, Admiral Swift stated: “I was informed by the Commander of the Navy (Admiral John M. Richardson) that he would not be selected to replace Admiral Harry Harris as Commander of the Pacific Command (PACOM).

In keeping with tradition and loyalty to the Navy, I am submitting my application for retirement. I do so in gratitude for the honor of serving alongside so many men and women of the Navy and their families for 40 years through next January.”

Commander of the US Navy's Pacific Fleet, Admiral Scott Swift. Photo: AP

Admiral Scott Swift, 60, said he was retiring out of “respect and admiration” for the Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral John M. Richardson.

Recently, several warships of the Pacific Fleet have repeatedly encountered collisions at sea, killing 17 sailors and causing estimated repair costs of hundreds of millions of dollars.

Traditionally, the commander of the Pacific Fleet is promoted to commander of PACOM when that commander retires. However, there was an exception when Mr. Swift's predecessor, Admiral Samuel Jones Locklear III, served as commander of US Naval Forces Europe and Africa before being promoted to commander of PACOM from 2012 to 2015.

The Pacific Fleet, headquartered in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, is the large unit that senior officers in the US Navy dream of commanding. This fleet owns about 60% of the Navy's warships, with the 3rd Fleet headquartered in San Diego and the 7th Fleet headquartered in Japan, along with all US Navy submarines, surface ships and aircraft in the Pacific, as well as command of US Navy forces in Japan, Korea and the Marianas Islands./.

Lan Ha

(According to Reuters)