Cmdr. Vinny Wood's 26-year career skidded to a halt on the early August morning he got a received his black eye.
The second-in-command of the Trident Refit Facility in Kings Bay, Georgia, was hospitalized by a jealous husband, then later fired was said his relationship with a married civilian subordinate was nothing more than friendship. But that relationship ended up with him hospitalized by a jealous husband, fired from his job as an executive officer, and found guilty on two counts at admiral’s mast.
Wood allegedly carried on an affair with a married civilian coworker at his command. His commanding officer caught wind of this and barred Wood from from communicating with her or being within 100 feet of her — an order that he broke two days after it was issued according to Navy investigators. ((according to???))
Things could have turned out much worse. The Navy lacked evidence to support an adultery charge for Wood, who was married. Wood and the married civilian denied having an affair but the investigator concluded that they had nonetheless had an inappropriate relationship. She told the CO she "loved" him in the hospital, while the bruised Wood was recuperating, according to a new command investigation that Navy Times obtained via the Freedom of Information Act., according to the Manual of the Judge Advocate General, or Jagman, obtained by Navy Times. Investigators lacked the evidence to support an adultery charge, then looked to charge Wood with making a false official statement, as they felt there was "sufficient evidence" that Wood lied when he denied the affair.
Rear Adm. Randy Crites, the commander of Submarine Group 10 boss, found Wood guilty on Sept. 18 on for two counts of conduct unbecoming an officer and issued him a punitive letter of reprimand. served as convening authority. He felt the evidence was insufficient and dropped that charge. Crites added another opinion that "although evidence exists that Cmdr. Wood used alcohol and operated a motor vehicle, insufficient evidence exists to conclude that a violation of Article 111 — drunken or reckless operation of a vehicle occurred."
But the XO wasn’t out of the woods just yet. Crites nixed the recommendation for Captain’s Mast and ordered Wood to stand Admiral’s Mast for violations of articles 90 (willfully disobeying a superior commissioned officer), 92 (failure to obey a lawful order), and 133 (conduct unbecoming an officer). He was found guilty on Sept. 18 of two counts (Crites combined the violation of Article 92 into the Article 133 charge). Wood received a punitive letter of reprimand and Wood must will face a board of inquiry that will determine what future, if any, he has in the Navy. A blemish of this sort, especially for a nuclear officer, is typically a career killer. A retirement in the grade of lieutenant commander is likely, as that is the last rank he honorably held and had been promoted to commander just six months earlier.
Wood did not respond to emails and phone messages seeking requests for comment by press time. The civilian coworker with which he was accused of having an inappropriate relationship was not identified in the released documents out of privacy concerns; officials also removed the identities of others named in the report.
DOWNFALL OF AN LDODownfall of an LDO
Capt. Gunter Braun, commanding officer of the Trident Refit Facility in Kings Bay, Georgia, on the morning of Aug. 7 received a report on the morning of Aug. 7 no skipper wants to hear: His married XO, who is married, was alleged to be having in an affair with a civilian employee, who also is married.
Wood took the position in April, but had been was assigned to TRF since May 2012. The limited duty officer had a reputation as a good reputation throughout the facility, and was seen as an innovative go-getter capable of handling any task at the TRF, a maintenance facility where Ohio-class ballistic missile submarines are repaired and overhauled; the facility boasts the largest covered dry dock in the Northern Hemisphere, where subs can be repaired without concerns that their systems could be exposed to by satellites.
Braun called Wood to his office within hours, at which time he denied any affair and said the allegation could have been based on what had happened at a local pub. The CO counseled him on his conduct. ((was that pub episode described???)) a misinterpretation of behavior the previous night at a local pub. The XO was counseled on professional conduct and expectations.
Things remained quiet until the civilian'swoman's husband called Braun on Aug. 20 and asked him to end the affair between his wife and Wood. The husband sent screen shots of text messages shared betweenby the two. A subsequent review found that Wood and the man's wife the woman in question spoke 85 times on Wood's government-issued cell phone, totaling — a total of nearly 19 hours over the previous past month. — on the commander’s government-issued cell phone between July 16 and Aug. 19. Forty-nine calls originated during non-working hours and totaled more than 15 hours. Wood initiated 66 percent of the calls, according to the report.
This unofficial use of his government-issued cell phone was ruled a violation of Navy rules. considered a violation of Article 92.
The submarine Georgia undergoing maintenance in the drydock of the Trident Refit Facility, Kings Bay, Ga.
Photo Credit: Mark Turney/Navy
Braun later told investigators that his XO also "used alternative means in an attempt to hide his actions." Specifically, he brought a personal iPhone into the office that wouldn't be monitored.
Braun called his XO on to the carpet after seeing the texts. before closing shop on Aug. 20. Wood The commander again denied an inappropriate relationship existed and left the base about an hour later. That night, the woman's husband sent a text to Braun that said Wood was drunk and driving home, and that Wood had told him he was sorry for what he had done to the man's family.
Braun immediately called Wood, who said in slurred speech that stated he was pulling into his driveway. The skipper noted that the XO's speech was slurred and thought it may be due to alcohol use. Phone records show Wood called the husband five times that night.
The CO skipper issued a Military Protective Order the next day, that barringed him from which was Aug. 21. Wood was ordered to have no unofficial communications with the female civilian and the woman and to stay at least 100 feet from her, the report said pending an investigation into allegations of impropriety. Wood signed the order and went home for the weekend.
Braun was awakened at 02:30 a.m. two days later by on Aug. 23 by a phone call from the incensedwoman’s husband, who stated he just "beat the crap" out of Braun’s XO. Wood was with the woman in the early morning hours of Aug. 23, according to a police report obtained by Navy Times. Her husband soon arrived; he referenced the protective order and then things got verbal threats by both parties quickly turned physical.
The fight put Wood in the hospital for a day and a half with a . He ended up with "a large contusion to his left eye, several knots on his head, an abrasion to the bridge of his nose, a small cut under his nose, and abrasions to both knees," according to the police report. The Navy investigation said Wood also had potential bleeding on the brain. A beer bottle also was thrown through the rear window of his Wood’s car.
The sheriff's deputy reported that he made contact with Braun from the hospital. The skipper confirmed Wood had been issued a military protective order and said "the military would take appropriate measures in reference to the violation."
The woman rode to the hospital with Wood, according to Navy investigators, and was with Wood in the emergency room when Braun arrived. The skipper asked her to depart, to which she reportedly replied she would not because she "loved" Wood, according to the report. The civilian she later told investigators that Braun said warned he would take her clearance if she did not leave, a charge the skipper denied the hospital. The skipper flatly denied that charge.
About Approximately 90 minutes later, Braun walked into entered Wood’s hospital room and found the two "snuggled up" on the hospital bed, according to the report.
Braun fired his XO on Aug. 31 while investigators looked into the relationship. Wood was reassigned to Submarine Group 10 at Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay. He and the woman continued to deny that they had had sexa physical relationship took place. Wood said they were only friends, and met one time socially "by coincidence" during the period in question. The lead investigator didn’t buy it.
"Cmdr. Wood had an inappropriate relationship with a junior civilian at TRF while both were married to other people," said the investigator, who was identified only as a senior captain. "Due to this relationship, he knowingly disregarded a direct order of his commanding officer within 36 hours. His actions brought dishonor on himself as an officer and compromised his standing as the XO of TRF."
The investigation report said Wood willfully disobeyed a superior commissioned officer (Article 90) by violating the military protective order, failed to obey a lawful order (Article 92) by using his government-issued phone to call her repeatedlyfor personal use, lied about the nature of his relationship in his official statement (Article 107), and that his conduct was unbecoming an officer (Article 133). The investigator recommended captain’s mast on all counts. Braun concurred.
Wood instead stood admiral's mast on Sept. 18, and was found guilty on two counts: Articles 90 and 133.
Wood enlisted in 1988 and rose to the rank of machinist's mate first class before being commissioned. He was promoted to commander on Feb. 1. Wood has served on six ships and submarines and earned qualifications for as a received surface warfare officer, submarine service, and divinger qualifications. He has served on six ships and submarines. His decorations include two Navy/Marine Corps Commendation Medals and seven Navy/Marine Corps Achievement Medals. He has been transferred to SUBGRUSub Group 10, where he waits the ruling from a board of inquiry.
