The Navy Won’t Stand for It

Recent news stories concerning sexual harassment aboard the U.S. Navy salvage ship Safeguard were appalling. But now, only a month after the women crew members filed their complaints, a military hearing has found the ship’s commanding officer, Lt. Cmdr. Kenneth D. Harvey, guilty of assault, sexual harassment, conduct unbecoming an officer, dereliction of duty, disobedience of naval regulations and inappropriate social fraternization.

And the penalty for his behavior was appropriately severe. Harvey has been relieved of his command, will forfeit more than $3,000 of his pay and will receive a written reprimand. For all practical purposes the commander’s naval career is finished.

Through its swift and direct action in this harassment case, the Navy has taken a giant step toward integrating women into what has historically been a “man’s navy.” But equal commitment to duty must be exercised by the service’s women sailors.

Although the incidents of harassment took place last spring, the women aboard the Safeguard did not report the problem until August, after Harvey gave poor performance ratings to some of his unmarried women crew members because they became pregnant. His action was not consistent with Navy policy regarding pregnancy, a Navy Department spokesman said. The performance reports were later revised. But pregnancy among sea-duty personnel remains a serious problem.

Women have been assigned to noncombatant sea duty since 1978. Pregnant sailors, married or not, can remain on board ship through most of their pregnancy as long as the ship is in port. But when the ship goes to sea the women are re-assigned to shore, often leaving key positions untended or partly covered by shipmates. This abrupt loss of personnel has raised legitimate questions about the combat readiness of vessels. The situation is especially critical on ships the size of the Safeguard where replacement personnel are not available, a Navy spokesman said. The Safeguard has a crew of about 90--20% of whom are women.

This is a problem that the Navy must now address. Without adequate replacement personnel, the absence of any sailor--whether due to a broken leg or an unplanned pregnancy--will continue to jeopardize the combat readiness of the fleet.

To its credit, the Navy did not allow the problem of shipboard pregnancies to cloud the harassment charges against Harvey. His behavior toward his women sailors set a despicable precedent for all in his command. And the hearing last month, conducted by Rear Adm. Robert Reimann, commander of the Pearl Harbor Naval Base, now sends a loud and clear message to all naval personnel that sexual harassment will not be tolerated.