Leadership, Training Breakdown Led to Sailors Being Detained

A “breakdown in leadership and training” led to nine U.S. sailors and a naval officer being detained overnight in January 2015 by Iran, according to the results of a recently released Navy investigation.

Among those detained was Lt. David Nartker, a Naperville resident, who reportedly apologized on Iranian state television over what had transpired.

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“It was a mistake. That was our fault. And we apologize for our mistake,” Nartker said in a video released by Iran TV.

The 10 Navy sailors were detained after their patrol boats drifted into Iranian waters. The sailors were traveling from Kuwait to Bahrain when at least one of the boats experienced mechanical trouble and both boats lost contact with the U.S. Navy, according to the Department of Defense.

Despite having the mapping technology to know better, the sailors never realized what island they were near, according to the Washington Post.

“As disappointing as the circumstances surrounding the incident on 12 January 2016 were, I find the failures that were documented in this investigation to be a symptom of a poorly led and unprepared unit thrust into a confusing situation that they were unable to comprehend and react to, until it was too late,” said Vice Adm. Kevin M. Donegan, commander of U.S. Naval Forces Central Command, according to the Post.

While the boats were supposed to sail through the southeast of the Persian Gulf at a safe distance of Farsi Island, the sailors went just south of the island because they were running behind schedule.

The report also shined on a light on a breach of ethics when one of the sailors encouraged others to eat food provided by the Iranians and another sailor made “statements adverse to U.S. interests,” the Post reports.