Close icon
Two crossed lines that form an X . It indicates a way to close an interaction, or dismiss a notification. US Navy guided-missile destroyer USS Forrest Sherman at Naval Station Norfolk, February 26, 2013. US Navy/PO2 Mark Martinez
Cmdr. Frank Azzarello, commanding officer of guided-missile destroyer USS Forrest Sherman, was relieved just days ahead of a scheduled change-of-command ceremony.
The Navy says the removal was because of a loss of confidence in his ability to command, but Azzarello s lawyer says the service sacked the commander over his plan to turn a rusty AK-47 assault rifle into a plaque to celebrate an Arabian Sea weapons seizure.
USNI News
Lawyer: Destroyer CO Removed for Making Plaque from Seized Weapon
January 27, 2021 11:28 PM
The guided-missile destroyer USS Forrest Sherman (DDG 98) transits the Gulf of Tadjoura on Nov. 17, 2019. Forrest Sherman is deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations in support of naval operations to ensure maritime stability in the Central Region, connecting the Mediterranean and Pacific through the Western Indian Ocean and three strategic choke points. US Navy photo.
This post has been updated to include links to U.S. law and DoD policy on captured weapons.
The commander of a guided-missile destroyer was relieved of command after attempting to make a morale-boosting plaque from a captured weapon for his crew to celebrate the 2019 interdiction of an Iranian weapons shipment, an attorney representing the commander told USNI News on Wednesday.