The Admiral was not near enough to Benghazi for this to be related (near Guam on the day). It may be related to public statements critical of the President as Commander in Chief.
Navy replaces admiral leading Mideast strike group because of ongoing investigation
NEW YORK (WLS) – In an unusual move, the Navy has replaced an admiral commanding an aircraft carrier strike group while it is deployed to the Middle East. The replacement was prompted by an Inspector General’s investigation of allegations of inappropriate leadership judgment.
Phi Beta Iota: Another flag officer appears to have been relieved also, General Carter Ham at AFRICOM, with unconfirmed reports that he was disobeying orders to stand down and instead sending aid to the US personnel in Benghazi. According to Wikipedia, on 11 September 2012 Carrier Strike Group Three entered the U.S. Seventh Fleet‘s area of responsibility and subsequently participated in the U.S. joint military training exercise Valiant Shield 2012 off Guam. The closest US forces to Benghazi were probably those in Aviano Italy. The distance from Benghazi to Aviano is 1680 km or 1044 miles. A typical flight between Benghazi to Aviano would have a flying time of about 2 hours 6 mins. This assumes an average flight speed for a commercial airliner of 500 mph, which is equivalent to 805 km/hr or 434 knots. The principal delay factor appears to have been the Secretary of Defense who lacked adequate intelligence from the US secret intelligence world ($80 billion a year), and may have had orders from the White House to avoid increasing US force presence in Benghazi whatever the consequences. Nobody looks good on this — the hidden agendas remain to be disclosed.
See Also:
Obama Administration Replaces Top Generals Following Benghazi Disaster
Did Obama Fire General Ham Of Africom For Attempting To Buck His Order And Rescue Stevens?
