What made the case of Navy Capt. Holly Graf — relieved of command aboard the USS Cowpens last year for “cruelty and maltreatment” toward her crew — so compelling was the anger she generated among those who had served under her. Dozens of sailors and officers, in interviews, and hundreds, in blog posts online, expressed a profound dislike for the command climate she created aboard the vessels on which she deployed over many years.
So it only seems fair to note that Capt. Owen Honors, now under investigation for his raunchy videos as the No. 2 officer aboard the carrier USS Enterprise several years ago, seems to be generating largely positive reviews from those who served under him. More than 1,200 people have clicked “like” at a Facebook page supporting him created following the videos’ surfacing over the weekend. A representative sample of the remarks posted there — from those who claim to have served with him on the carrier, or had a loved one that did — include:
“I was on the Enterprise during 2007 when these videos aired. They were funny and boosted morale and he was a good XO. He doesn’t deserve this.” — Brian Malvin
“I too was onboard the USS Enterprise for the 06 and 07 deployments. When I heard that Captain Honors was coming back to serve as the CO, I was thrilled! He was a great XO and the videos were intended as a morale booster…Captain Honors was extremely personable…when he left the ship, so did the morale.” — Jennifer Awiza
“I, like many of you, have served this great Navy for 19 plus years. CAPT `OP’ Honors is one of the best leaders I have ever served with. I was onboard Big `E’ from 2005 to 2008 and watched the morale go through the roof after he took over as XO and watched it slip away after he left. He was very mission oriented, yet he knew how to let loose, in an SNL type of way. If you were there, you remember, every one of the 6,000 plus crew looked forward to XO movie night (the mess decks were standing room only)…those nights were the talk of the ship and they carried us through the week until the next episode.” — Tony Backer
“…as a spouse of a SAILOR who as a matter of fact just ended his tour on the USS Enterprise and who served under Capt. Honors…I adore this man!!!!! He tried to make people laugh and get their minds off of not being with their families.” — Kourtney Lia Davis
That’s why the Navy finds itself in a pickle here. Punishing an officer who generates such huzzahs from his crew carries a significant likelihood of collateral damage across the fleet.