Civilian sub visits under scrutiny

At Pearl Harbor’s court of inquiry, where the actions of three crew members of the USS Greeneville are under scrutiny, there is another aspect of the sub tour under a microscope: the "distinguished visitors program."

Family members of Ehime Maru victims and Japanese officials ere moved by a song presented by Hawai‘i’s Jake Shimabukuro, back to camera, at a ceremony in Honolulu last week. Nine people aboard the ship died in a collision with a U.S. submarine. Associated Press library photo • March 6, 2001

Throughout testimony last week, the question of whether the 16 civilians aboard the Greeneville in some way interfered with, or contributed to, the Feb. 9 accident that sent the Japanese fishing vessel Ehime Maru to the bottom of the ocean, came up again and again.

Vice Adm. John Nathman, president of the court, listed the examination of "the policies and practices of ... implementation of the distinguished visitor embarkation program" as the second of four lines of inquiry into the accident which killed nine Japanese crew members.

In the case of the Greeneville, the mission was unusual in that it did not follow standard Navy practice: The sole purpose on that day was to demonstrate the submarine’s abilities to its guests, and it executed an emergency maneuver used about once a year.

Rear Adm. Charles Griffiths, who conducted the preliminary investigation of the accident for the Navy, has already established that the Greeneville was running 45 minutes behind schedule because lunch for the guests ran too long.

That contributed to "an artificial urgency to get onto the surface toward the end of the day," and an assortment of hasty procedures, from its periscope sweep to its sonar search.

In addition, Griffiths said, the 16 civilians on board blocked sailors’ views of control panels and of their captain, Cmdr. Scott Waddle.

Civilian trips decreased in 2000 Civilian trips aboard U.S. Pacific Fleet ships: 2000 Missile sub visits: 29 Submarine visits: 21 Carrier visits: 74 Surface ship visits: 34 Total visits: 158 Missile sub guests: 980 Submarine guests: 307 Carrier guests: 1,478 Surface ship guests: 5,071 Total guests: 7,836 1999 Missile sub visits: 26 Submarine visits: 28 Carrier visits: 108 Surface ships visits: 71 Total visits: 233 Missile sub guests: 785 Submarine guests: 367 Carrier guests: 2,155 Surface ship guests: 8,133 Total guests: 11,440

Two of Griffiths’ nine recommendations for the court of inquiry had to do with the civilian program: first, to interview civilians on board and, second, to solicit the views of other naval leaders about civilians on warships. Whether allowing civilians to accompany the military on training exercises — which has been suspended pending a review by Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld — will continue is unclear. But there is still great support for the program, including from the three admirals overseeing the court and Griffiths.

The "DV program," as it’s called in Navy jargon, routinely takes community and business leaders on brief submarine trips as part of a program designed to sell an image of a professional and competent Navy.

"It’s a valuable program and shouldn’t be compromised because of this event," said retired Navy Rear Adm. Eugene Carroll, deputy director of the Center for Defense Information in Washington, D.C. "It’s a public relations program, lock, stock and barrel. It’s selling the armed services to the American public so they can tell Congress they’re getting their money’s worth."

When Carroll was commander of the aircraft carrier USS Midway, he often allowed escorted tours. Guests stood behind officers actively landing planes on the flight deck and sometimes firing the catapult that sent planes roaring into the sky.

"We sent them every place we could so they could see first-hand the complexity of the operations and the degree of professionalism at work," he said last week. "The crew benefited from this, too. They took a lot of pride in demonstrating their professionalism."

In testimony last week, Griffiths described the Greeneville crew as experienced and talented. Their abilities were worth showcasing for civilians riding along on day trips, he said.

"I got the impression that Greeneville is frequently tapped to do that because she’s good at it," Griffiths testified.

The Feb. 9 trip included tours of the submarine, lunch with the captain and a series of high-speed diving and turning maneuvers called "angles and dangles." Preparing for and executing the emergency surfacing came next.

Schedule for court of inquiry Tomorrow 8 a.m.: Morning session convenes, testimony and cross-examination of Capt. Thomas G. Kyle, N7, commander, Submarine Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet, continues. Testimony from Rear Adm. Albert H. Konetzni Jr., commander, Submarine Force, U.S. Pacific, follows Kyle. 1 p.m.: Afternoon session convenes, testimonies and cross-examinations to continue. 4:30 p.m.: Afternoon session adjourns until Tuesday morning.

Two of the civilians even had their hands on the controls during the emergency procedure, which Griffiths has concluded had nothing to do with the accident. Waddle’s attorney revealed that the civilians were listening to whale songs on a "work tape" normally used to record sonar contacts. Nobody has suggested that this interfered with the ability of the crew to make its regular contacts.

The Greeneville brought visitors aboard on three trips since September 1999. Guests included congressional staffers, members of the Navy League and World War II veterans.

Overall, the total number of guests on missile subs, submarines, carriers and surface ships last year was 7,836. The year before, that number was 11,440.

Fast-attack submarines in the Pacific fleet embarked with guests 28 times in 1999 and 21 times last year, according to fleet records.

The records do not reflect if any of those trips lacked a training mission. When the Greeneville was scheduled to take visitors on its ill-fated trip, training was on the daily schedule. It was canceled however, just days before.

Testimony has yet to reveal what led fleet’s submarine force commanders to continue with the trip for guests, most from the Mainland.

But the U.S. Pacific Fleet’s submarine force commander, Rear Adm. Albert Konetzni Jr., has a history of promoting his fleet in a very public manner. Taking people aboard who will later tell others about the skills of submariners is a powerful public relations tool, some say.

James Bush, a retired Navy captain who served aboard four nuclear-powered attack submarines, agrees with the message, but not the delivery.

He said Waddle should not have chosen to surface by using a "main emergency ballast blow." The procedure essentially turns the ship into a balloon, and it rises swiftly to the surface. Using the procedure was "a stunt" that had little to do with training, he said.

"It appears that as a stunt, it is used more for visitors," he said last week from his home in Florida. "It should be done once a year and just to see if the thing works. No exercise that is dangerous should be allowed. That emergency main ballast blow is dangerous because when you come to the surface, you can’t see what is on the surface."

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