Boss backs officer in sailor death case

NORFOLK, Va., Nov. 3 (UPI) -- The former commander of an amphibious transport ship is defending his subordinate, who is being court-martialed in Norfolk, Va., for a fatal accident.

Capt. Kurt Kastner, who turned over command of the San Antonio six weeks before the February 2009 incident, testified Tuesday in the court-martial of Lt. Cmdr. Sean Kearns, The (Norfolk) Virginian-Pilot reported.

A small boat flipped over, and Petty Officer 1st Class Theophilus Ansong was lost at sea.

Cmdr. Eric Cash, Kastner's successor, accepted a reprimand, effectively ending his career. But Kearns chose a trial instead.

Kastner said his crew conducted small-boat operations -- lowering rigid-hull inflatable boats over the side -- throughout the first four months of the deployment to the Indian Ocean and Gulf of Aden.

Kastner said he had faith in his experienced deck crew, especially Kearns, his executive officer.

But he was dissatisfied with conditions on the San Antonio, a new platform that showed problems even before the Navy received it.

Asked about training and readiness before the deployment began in August 2008, Kastner said the ship lacked needed training manuals and others were useless because the San Antonio was too new.