The US Navy says it will charge commanders of two destroyers involved in collisions last year which claimed the lives of 17 sailors.
The former commanding officers of the Arleigh Burke-class destroyers face charges including “dereliction of duty, hazarding a vessel, and negligent homicide,” the Navy said in a statement on Tuesday.
The USS John S. McCain collided with an oil tanker in August 2017, leaving 10 sailors dead, while the USS Fitzgerald smashed into a cargo ship in June, killing seven.
“Courts-martial proceedings/Article 32 hearings are being convened to review evidence supporting possible criminal charges against Fitzgerald members,” as well as the commander of the John S. McCain, the Navy said in a statement.
“The announcement of an Article 32 hearing and referral to a court-martial is not intended to and does not reflect a determination of guilt or innocence related to any offenses,” the statement added.
The fatal…