The Command Triad of USS South Dakota Was Relieved on October 14 and Drew Congressional Questions on November 12: Smith and Courtney Wrote to the Navy That They Were Never Notified, and the Relief Reportedly Followed a Soft Grounding of the Rudder
GROTON, Connecticut, United States — The relief on October 14 of the three leaders of the Virginia class attack submarine USS South Dakota (SSN 790) drew congressional questions on November 12. According to USNI News, the submarine's commanding officer, executive officer and chief of the boat were relieved from command, with the relief allegedly attributed to a grounding incident, according to a member of Congress.
Representatives Joe Courtney and Adam Smith released a letter on November 12 to Acting Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao and Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Daryl Caudle. The letter said the Department of the Navy's failure to communicate these incidents to Congress was unacceptable, and that lawmakers learned of the relief from a reporter's request for comment on the dismissal. Nearly one month later, no notifications of the firings or the underlying incident had been made to the House Armed Services Committee.
The commanding officer relieved was Commander Daniel Goodwin, who assumed command of South Dakota in June 2026 at a change of command ceremony at Naval Submarine Base New London in Groton, Connecticut. The executive officer was Lieutenant Commander Jacqueline Penichet and the chief of the boat was Senior Chief Information Systems Technician (Submarines) Jon Nogaj. The Day newspaper in New London, Connecticut, first confirmed the commanding officer's dismissal. A source familiar with the matter told USNI News the triad removal followed a soft grounding of the submarine's rudder.
The lawmakers wrote that the Navy typically informs Congress of at sea incidents, accidents and dismissals of command triads, and that the Navy's lack of transparency left outstanding questions about the impact of the events on the structural health of South Dakota, the well being of the crew, and whether the incident laid bare any systemic issues with training to standard procedures that must be addressed. As of the letter's release, the Navy still had not informed lawmakers as to the reason for the triad's removal.
Source: USNI News
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：南达科他号潜艇（SSN 790）2019年1月在康涅狄格州格罗顿外海航行（资料图，本稿所涉潜艇）。美国海军摄，维基共享资源，公共领域。 / Photo: USS South Dakota (SSN 790) underway off Groton, Connecticut, in January 2019 (file photo, the submarine in this report). U.S. Navy photo, Wikimedia Commons (public domain).
