The head of the Navy’s boot camp was relieved of command Saturday, becoming at least the third commanding officer to be fired in the past week.
Capt. Jeffry Sandin had been in charge of Recruit Training Command Great Lakes, Illinois, since May 2021.
No reason was given in a brief Navy statement for Sandin’s firing, but it noted “a loss of confidence in his ability to command.”
There was no investigation that led to Sandin’s relief, and he does not face any additional disciplinary actions, according to Naval Education and Training Command spokesman Cmdr. Brian Wierzbicki.
“The decision to relieve a member of a command triad is made with the utmost care and after thorough consideration by higher command leadership,” he said in an email.
Capt. Kertreck Brooks has assumed the responsibilities of command for the unit, and Sandin has been reassigned to Naval Service Training Command headquarters.
Sandin’s ouster follows at least two other CO firings in the past week.
On Friday, Cmdr. Devine Johnson was fired as commander of the destroyer Bulkeley, as was the ship’s enlisted leader, Command Master Chief Earl Sanders.
No reason was provided for the reliefs, other than a “loss of confidence” from the higher-ups.
And on Wednesday, the commanding officer of an air squadron currently deployed to Europe with the Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group was relieved of command.
Cmdr. Matthew McCormick was fired as head of Electronic Attack Squadron 137 due to what a Navy statement calls a “loss of confidence in his ability to command.”
No further details were provided for that firing.
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.
