Capt. James Harney, the commodore of a key San Diego-based amphibious squadron, was relieved of duty Friday by the Navy for unspecified reasons.
Coronado police said Harney, 49, was arrested on suspicion of felony hit and run and felony DUI causing bodily injury on Nov. 22 shortly after 7:30 p.m. after getting in a collision with another vehicle.
Harney had spent about five months overseeing Amphibious Squadron 5, whose warships work as a group to transport Marines during missions ranging from land and air assault to humanitarian relief.
Squadron 5 played important roles in the Vietnam war as well as Desert Shield and Desert Storm in the Persian Gulf and is currently training with a group of amphibious warships, including the USS Boxer, which is often referred to as a “mini” aircraft carrier.
The Navy said in a statement that Harney will be “administratively reassigned” and that he has been replaced by Capt. Tate Robinson.
“Navy leaders are held to high standards of personal and professional conduct, both on and off duty,” the statement said. “They are expected to uphold the highest standards of responsibility, reliability, and leadership, and the Navy holds them accountable when they fall short of those standards.”
It’s not uncommon for the Navy to relieve commanding officers. An average of 17 officers a year are removed from command spots, the Navy said. But the Navy usually does not explain its actions in detail.
Harney graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1996 and has performed a variety of roles on destroyers and cruisers.
His dismissal came about six weeks after the Navy relieved Capt. Danielle C. DeFant, commander of the San Diego-based cruiser USS Lake Erie, of her duties, also for unspecified reasons.
