The Navy on Tuesday Aug. 18 fired the commanding officer of patrol coastal ship Shamal due to alleged bad behavior. loss of confidence in her ability to command.
Lt. Cmdr. Alisha Hamilton was relieved of her duties by Capt. Glenn Kuffel, commander of Naval Surface Squadron 14, following the preliminary findings of an ongoing command investigation into alleged inappropriate behavior, according to a Navy news release. Lt. Cmdr. Myers Vasquez, a spokesman for Naval Surface Forces, Atlantic, said details regarding the nature of the allegations could not be discussed during the investigation, and he did not know how long the investigation would last.
Hamilton, who assumed command of Shamal in January, has temporarily been reassigned to Commander, Navy Region Southeast, pending final results of the investigation. The Bowling Green, Ken. Kentucky, native was commissioned in 2003 after graduating from the Naval Academy. She also received a Master of Arts in National Security Studies (Western Hemisphere) from the Naval Postgraduate School, according to Navy data.
Command of patrol coastal ships are among the most coveted posts for junior surface warfare officers, by giving top rated officers an early shot at command. Hamilton, for example, took charge of the Shamal after only 12 years in uniform.
Her department head tours include service as operations officer aboard the destroyer Momsen, and combat systems officer aboard the cruisers Cowpens and Antietam. Ashore, she served with the Naval Attaché at the U.S. Embassy in Paris and was flag aide for the head of Commander, Joint Task Force Guantanamo.
Lt. Cmdr. David Catterall, who commands patrol coastal ship Tornado, has temporarily assumed command of Shamal. His ship was in maintenance availability and was slated to get a new skipper in September. The deputy commander of Naval Surface Squadron 14 will take charge of Tornado until then.
Shamal is based at Naval Station Mayport, Fla. Florida, and crewed by 35. Its primary mission is coastal patrol and interdiction, often in conjunction with Coast Guard vessels, but PCs also have deployed to the Gulf region in support of the war on terrorism.
