Sub Boss Faked Death, Removed From Position in Navy
A Navy officer was dismissed from his leadership post on the USS Pittsburgh after faking his own death to end an affair he was having. Commander Michael P. Ward II was relieved of his duties after only one week in charge of the submarine, and the Navy has issued a scathing statement about the situation.
"Commander Ward's dishonesty and deception in developing, maintaining, and attempting to end his inappropriate relationship … were egregious and not consistent with our Navy's expectations of a commissioned officer," Captain Vernon Parks stated in official documents.
Ward began dating an unnamed woman in October of last year and used an alias for all contact. He was married at the time but began spending time with his mistress, including an entire weekend in November. The relationship continued until July, when she informed him that she was pregnant with their child.
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Unfortunately, the woman lost the baby due to complications, but Ward continued talking with her and remained in the relationship. Later that month, though, Ward used another fictitious name to email the woman. This time he posed as "Bob" and claimed to be Ward's co-worker.
"Bob" told the woman that Ward had died unexpectedly. The truth was revealed, though, when she went to his former residence to pay her respects. She was told that Ward had actually moved to Connecticut for his new position in the Navy.
"She was very surprised," Jon Boyle, the new resident in Ward's home, told The Denver Post. "She told me they were good friends and they'd known him [Ward] a while."
After the woman's relative contacted the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS), an investigation was launched and the whole story revealed. Ward was found guilty of Naval violations and was officially reprimanded. He has since been transferred to a submarine unit in Groto.
While the story has caught many off-guard, there are those who have praised the Navy's quick response and code of ethics.
"Adultery is a violation of military code (at least for officers)? Props to our military!" tweeted Stephen May.
"Naval Captains have tremendous power at their disposal. Integrity is a must," added Yahoo reader Burner1978.
