Naval exercises require experience

Previously the military has permitted civilians to ride aboard submarines for the purpose of public relations. Many of the people who are invited consider the opportunity as the voyage of a lifetime. But because of the sinking of the Japanese ship Ehime Maru caused by the Navy submarine USS Greeneville on Feb. 9, the decision of whether civilians should be allowed on board of any military transportation is now hanging in the balance.

The USS Greeneville had at least 16 guests that day while the Japanese ship was carrying 35 passengers. There were two civilians at the helm of the submarine and while they were closely supervised, they were not prepared for the accident that occurred.

The accident occurred off the coast of Hawaii at around 1:45 p.m., Hawaii time. Ten minutes after the impact, the ship sank and only 26 passengers were rescued, leaving nine passengers missing or presumed dead. Speculations have arisen about what could have happened.

The Greeneville was conducting a maneuver known as an “emergency blow” that involves surfacing rapidly after filling its tanks with air as a demonstration for their guests. There was a possibility that the guests distracted the crew by perhaps not allowing the crew to do a periscope scan of the surface in order to detect an approaching vessel before the submarine dived and began its ascent to the surface 10 to 15 minutes later. As a result, the accident occurred.

The control room, which measured 18 by 24 feet, was most likely crowded with 10 to 15 crew members plus all the guests. The space was also filled with periscopes, chart tables and control stations. At most, 30 people can be in there at a time, causing any kind of distraction possible.

While the investigation is still underway to determine what really happened that day, the families of the missing passengers, four of them high school students, have also been left helpless as they wait for their loved ones to be rescued by Thursday of this week.

This is not the first time that civilians may have been responsible for such an accident. In 1981, an Air Force EC-135 flying out of Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio crashed with 21 people aboard. The reason for the flight was a “spouse incentive” for the crew members’ wives. A later investigation revealed that at least one spouse was in the pilot’s seat at the time of the accident.

Another similar incident occurred in July 1998, when an Army Black Hawk helicopter from Fort Stewart, Ga., crashed in the Bahamas after the pilot and co-pilot took their wives for an unauthorized flight. The wives were killed and the pilots were court-martialed and fined.

This incident has angered Japan because they do not understand why America allowed its civilians to operate the controls of the submarine. No sonar tapes were recorded either, leaving everyone wondering what really happened that day. The captain is also refusing to say what happened at this point.

The other people who are suffering because of this tragedy are the families of the nine people missing at sea, wondering if they will even see their loved ones again. The captain, who is currently suspended, is facing charges by the Navy. The Army has barred civilians from its vehicles.

The Navy must take precautions in terms of the safety of others inside their vehicles and civilians must also be careful to make sure that they do not distract the crew from their tasks at hand. More importantly, the military must also remember that its job is to protect everyone.

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Unsigned editorials represent the opinion of the Campus Times Editorial Board.

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