HERE IS A UPDATE FROM NPR ON 4JAN11, THE ORIGINAL POST FOLLOWS.....
Update: USS Enterprise Captain Relieved Of Command
Update at 2:22 p.m. ET: From the Pentagon, NPR's Tom Bowman reports that Adm. John Harvey, commander of U.S. Fleet Forces Command, just made the formal announcement that Capt. Owen Honors has been permanently relieved of command of the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise. Harvey cited what he said was Honors' "profound lack of good judgment" in making the raunchy videos that came to light this week.
And, "I have lost faith in his ability to command the Enterprise," Harvey added.
Update at 10:18 a.m. ET: NPR's Tom Bowman has also now confirmed the news that USS Enterprise Capt. Owen Honors will be relieved of his command
Update at 10:05 a.m. ET: We've changed the headline on this post to reflect the breaking news from CNN and the AP that "senior defense officials" say USS Enterprise Capt. Owen Honors will be relieved of his command because of raunchy videos he produced and broadcast to the crew aboard the aircraft carrier.
Our original post — Enterprise Captain's Career 'Likely Sunk' By Videos:
The headline at The Virginian-Pilot this morning asks whether Capt. Owen Honors of the USS Enterprise is "Sunk?"
On its website, the newspaper is a bit more definitive: "Enterprise Skipper's Career Is Likely Sunk, Experts Say."
The top of its story:
"While the Navy issued no formal word Monday as to whether Capt. Owen Honors will retain his position as commander of the aircraft carrier Enterprise, military experts said his Navy career is almost certainly over."
That certainly seems to be in line with what JJ reported yesterday, that "Getting Fired By The Navy Isn't Hard To Do."
In case you're just catching up on this story, we reported yesterday on the videos Honors made — and showed to the 6,000 or so sailors and Marines aboard the Enterprise — several years ago when he was the aircraft carrier's second-in-command. Meant to be entertaining, they included anti-gay slurs, simulated masturbation, the simulated eating of human excrement, a discussion of profanity and sexually-themed shower scenes.
There is an online effort underway to show support for Honors. A Facebook page called "Support Captain Owen Honors - USS Enterprise" has more than 6,600 "friends" at this hour. On the ship's official Facebook page, there's a spirited discussion underway that includes messages of support for Honors and messages that condemn his actions.
Navy Times is asking its online readers for their opinions on what should happen to Honors and his superior officers.
Update at 10 a.m. ET. The Associated Press just moved this "alert":
"Defense officials: Navy will relieve aircraft carrier commander over sexually explicit videos."
USS Enterprise Video Scandal: Navy Commander Revealed As Mastermind Behind Raunchy Videos 2JAN11
And, "I have lost faith in his ability to command the Enterprise," Harvey added.
Update at 10:18 a.m. ET: NPR's Tom Bowman has also now confirmed the news that USS Enterprise Capt. Owen Honors will be relieved of his command
Update at 10:05 a.m. ET: We've changed the headline on this post to reflect the breaking news from CNN and the AP that "senior defense officials" say USS Enterprise Capt. Owen Honors will be relieved of his command because of raunchy videos he produced and broadcast to the crew aboard the aircraft carrier.
Our original post — Enterprise Captain's Career 'Likely Sunk' By Videos:
The headline at The Virginian-Pilot this morning asks whether Capt. Owen Honors of the USS Enterprise is "Sunk?"
On its website, the newspaper is a bit more definitive: "Enterprise Skipper's Career Is Likely Sunk, Experts Say."
The top of its story:
"While the Navy issued no formal word Monday as to whether Capt. Owen Honors will retain his position as commander of the aircraft carrier Enterprise, military experts said his Navy career is almost certainly over."
That certainly seems to be in line with what JJ reported yesterday, that "Getting Fired By The Navy Isn't Hard To Do."
In case you're just catching up on this story, we reported yesterday on the videos Honors made — and showed to the 6,000 or so sailors and Marines aboard the Enterprise — several years ago when he was the aircraft carrier's second-in-command. Meant to be entertaining, they included anti-gay slurs, simulated masturbation, the simulated eating of human excrement, a discussion of profanity and sexually-themed shower scenes.
There is an online effort underway to show support for Honors. A Facebook page called "Support Captain Owen Honors - USS Enterprise" has more than 6,600 "friends" at this hour. On the ship's official Facebook page, there's a spirited discussion underway that includes messages of support for Honors and messages that condemn his actions.
Navy Times is asking its online readers for their opinions on what should happen to Honors and his superior officers.
Update at 10 a.m. ET. The Associated Press just moved this "alert":
"Defense officials: Navy will relieve aircraft carrier commander over sexually explicit videos."
USS Enterprise Video Scandal: Navy Commander Revealed As Mastermind Behind Raunchy Videos 2JAN11
UPDATED: This story has been updated to include the full statement released by the U.S. Navy on matters addressed in the story below.
Owen Honors, Captain of the Norfolk-based USS Enterprise, was revealed as the producer of a series of "raunchy" videos made aboard the Navy carrier several years ago in a report released by the Virginian-Pilot on Saturday.
Filmed in 2006 and 2007 when Honors was the Enterprises's executive officer, the clips were reportedly shown to 6,000 sailors and U.S. Marines on the ship as part of what was called "XO Movie Night."
The Pilot reports:
In one scene, two female Navy sailors stand in a shower stall aboard the aircraft carrier, pretending to wash each other. They joke about how they should get six minutes under the water instead of the mandated three. In other skits, sailors parade in drag, use anti-gay slurs, and simulate masturbation and a rectal exam. Another scene implies that an officer is having sex in his stateroom with a donkey.According to the Virginia-based outlet, the videos were made with government equipment. Some were reportedly produced at times when the ship was actively deployed to help the country's war efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan. Sailors, who declined to be identified by name, indicated to the Pilot that the footage in question was broadcast on a weekly basis aboard the ship.
Honors, who is expected to deploy in upcoming weeks, suggests in the videos that his intent in generating the content was for entertainment purposes. The Pilot reports that the clips drew complaints from female sailors aboard the carrier who found the material offensive.
The Navy issued a statement (full text below) on the matter appearing to downplay any hint of controversy.
"The videos were intended to be humorous skits focusing the crew's attention on specific issues such as port visits, traffic safety, water conservation, ship cleanliness, etc," said a written statement, according to the Pilot.
Honors himself acknowledges in one clip the controversial nature of the videos. "Over the years I've gotten several complaints about inappropriate materials in these videos," he says. "Never to me personally but, gutlessly, through other channels."
Here's full text of the statement released by the Navy in response to the initial story published by the Virginian-Pilot:
The videos created onboard USS Enterprise in 2006-2007 and written about in The Virginian-Pilot article on Saturday, January 1, 2011, are clearly inappropriate. Production of videos, like the ones produced four to five years ago on USS Enterprise and now being written about in The Virginian-Pilot, were not acceptable then and are not acceptable in today's Navy. The Navy does not endorse or condone these kinds of actions. Those in command, Commanding Officers, Executive Officers, and Command Master Chiefs (the command triad) are charged to lead by example and are held accountable for setting the proper tone and upholding the standards of honor, courage and commitment that we expect Sailors to exemplify. U.S. Fleet Forces Command has initiated an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the production of these videos.http://hamptonroads.tv/hrtv.php?id=46530391
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