The now-infamous Shiloh sailor who was presumed overboard earlier this month — only to turn up in the cruiser's engineering spaces a week later — was moved to the brig at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego this week for pre-trial confinement on possible court-martial charges, U.S. Pacific Fleet officials said.
Gas Turbine Systems Technician (Mechanical) 3rd Class Peter Mims, 23, was reported missing and assumed overboard June 8 as the guided-missile cruiser was conducting routine operations off the coast of Okinawa.
Mims, whose home of record is listed as Interlachen, Florida, was found in the ship's engineering spaces a week after going missing and turned himself in to shipmates, Pacific Fleet spokesman Lt. Cmdr. Matt Knight said in an email.
"We do not know all the details and motivations behind this Sailor's week-long disappearance," Knight said. "This matter remains under investigation, but early indications are that he had taken steps to avoid being found by other Sailors, who were actively attempting to locate him."
His disappearance sparked a massive 50-hour manhunt involving U.S. and Japanese forces.
Helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft from the carrier Ronald Reagan, a P-8 maritime patrol aircraft, the destroyers John S. McCain and McCampbell, and the Reagan itself all assisted Shiloh in the search for Mims.
Before being transferred to the brig at Miramar, medical staff examined Mims aboard the Reagan and he was interviewed by investigators, Knight said.
The investigation is ongoing and expected to conclude by late summer, he said. Investigators are interviewing sailors and reviewing records to construct an account of what happened.
Mims enlisted in the Navy in February 2014 and reported to the Shiloh in August of that year. He was frocked to 3rd class in May.
Geoff is the managing editor of Military Times, but he still loves writing stories. He covered Iraq and Afghanistan extensively and was a reporter at the Chicago Tribune. He welcomes any and all kinds of tips at geoffz@militarytimes.com.
