ONCE again, we encounter the sheer insanity of putting men and women together on naval vessels, as if it is possible to remake human nature and prevent them from interacting, as well as the farce of a woman commanding a warship. From The Daily Mail:

Commander Sarah West, 42, took charge of the frigate HMS Portland in May 2012, but has been sent home from duty after claims she was having a relationship with a male officer on the same ship.

This would breach the Armed Forces’ Code of Social Conduct, which prohibits personnel from having relationships with subordinates if they compromise ‘operational effectiveness’.

While the Royal Navy is investigating the affair, Cdr West, from Grimsby, Lincolnshire, retains her position as commander of HMS Portland.

It is not known whether the male officer is married.

Cdr West recently described herself as ‘single’, having been married to a former Royal Navy pilot in 1998. The pair later separated.

A commenter at The Daily Mail writes:

We knew way back in 1988 that mixed crews would be a disaster…..Mixed crews are simply not suitable for service on warships…….We are not filming an episode of Star Trek………What disgraceful leadership….A Court-martial in the 50,60,70 and 80’s tackled unacceptable conduct and excessive ‘ Horse Play.’ Let us hope that this is still the case….We have such a small Navy that we cannot carry any passengers….

— Comments —

James P. writes:

I was bemused by the statement that the Armed Forces’ Code of Social Conduct “prohibits personnel from having relationships with subordinates if they compromise ‘operational effectiveness.’” How can a commander having a sexual relationship with his or her subordinate NOT compromise operational effectiveness or undermine trust and cohesion? It always does, without fail! The rules about relationships at work are (a) everyone knows about them; (b) everyone despises the boss and the subordinate in question; and (c) everyone assumes the boss is doing special favors for that subordinate at the expense of everyone else. If these rules hold true in an office environment, then they are even more true on a warship.

I wonder how many male Royal Navy officers have been fired for having relationships with female subordinates? I suspect those men did not retain their positions during the investigation, but were instantly fired and disgraced.

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