USS Guardian crew assigned to new ship

MANILA, Philippines - Crewmen of the US Navy minesweeper USS Guardian, who are still being investigated after their vessel ran aground and damaged a portion of Tubbataha Reef in the Sulu Sea, have reportedly been assigned to a new ship.

An article posted on the blog of the US Seventh Fleet said the entire crew of the Guardian was reassigned to another minesweeper, the USS Warrior, amid the ongoing investigation in connection with the accident in Tubbataha Reef.

“In an unusual crew-swap situation, the crew of ex-Guardian will be transferred to Warrior and remain forward deployed to CFAS (Commander, Fleet Activities Sasebo) effective March 31,” the article read.

The Warrior arrived in Sasebo, Japan last March 27.

The 1,300-ton, 68-meter-long Guardian ran aground at dawn of Jan. 17 at the reef’s south atoll. The vessel was on its way to Indonesia after a port call in Subic Bay when the incident happened.

The US Navy has blamed “faulty navigation chart data” for the incident but some sectors believe the incident was caused by human error. There were even questions as to why the US ship was in the area.

Tubbataha Reef spans 130,028 hectares and is a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Site.

American authorities hired salvage firms and dismantled the 224-foot ship to ensure that the reef would not be further damaged by salvage operations.

Some 15,000 gallons of fuel and other potentially harmful material were removed from the ship before the salvage operations started.

Despite the Tubbataha incident that will cost the US millions of dollars, the commanding officer of the Guardian, Lt. Cmdr. Mark Rice, has been named commander of the USS Warrior.

Rice even lauded his 79-man crew for the “courage and dedication they showed when ex-Guardian ran aground.”

“It was an incredible challenge but you demonstrated the greatest character in meeting that challenge. All 79 Guardian sailors made it home because of it. As we move toward the future, know that I have always been proud to be part of this crew,” he said.

Lt. Junior Grade Jared Shrader, USS Warrior’s damage control assistant, said it’s been difficult for the crew, both officers and enlisted, not having a ship.

“Sometimes there is a sense of confusion, but now with Warrior here we have a clear purpose,” he added.

Republic Act 10067 prohibits the entry to Tubbataha Reef without the permission of the Tubbataha Protected Area Management Board.

Violators will be penalized with a jail term of up to one year and a fine ranging from P100,000 to P300,000.

Transportation Secretary Joseph Abaya earlier said the Guardian crewmembers might not land in jail due to practices granting immunity to foreign vessels.

The crew of the ex-Guardian had conducted drills and visited other ships before boarding their new ship.

“We’re excited to get on board, take possession of this new warship and get back out to sea like we were meant to do,” Shrader said.