Navy ousts two commanding officers for loss of confidence

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The Navy relieved two commanding officers on Wednesday — both due to loss of confidence in their abilities to command.

Both Capt. Michael D. Nordeen, commanding officer of the amphibious transport dock Mesa Verde, and Cmdr. Alexa Jenkins, commanding officer of the guided-missile destroyer Carney, assumed command of their respective ships in the summer of 2022.

The Navy said Nordeen is being reassigned to Commander, Naval Force Atlantic, while Capt. Gregory Baker, ESG-2 chief of staff, will temporarily take over commanding officer responsibilities until a permanent replacement is found.

“Cmdr. Jenkins will be temporarily reassigned to the staff of Commander, Naval Surface Squadron 14,” the Navy said in a statement Thursday. “There is no impact to the command’s mission or schedule due to the relief.”

The service said Capt. Aaron Anderson, the deputy commodore of Naval Surface Squadron 14, will temporarily serve as commanding officer until a permanent replacement is brought in.

No additional details were immediately provided.

The Mesa Verde is homeported at Naval Station Norfolk and supports amphibious and special operations, as well as expeditionary warfare missions.

The Carney has been based at Naval Station Mayport since 2020, its first station since serving for five years in Rota, Spain, as one of the Navy’s Forward Deployed Naval Forces-Europe assets. The ship suffered a fire last month while pierside, causing six sailors to seek treatment at an area hospital for smoke inhalation.

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