Sailor Sentenced To 30 Days In Okinawa After Falling Asleep On Watch
A sailor in Okinawa prepares for liberty.
USS DECATUR (DDG 73) - Captain Mark Leon, commanding officer of the Destroyer USS Decatur, sentenced Boatswain’s Mate Seaman Rachel Watson to thirty days in Okinawa at a non-judicial punishment earlier this morning.
BMSN Watson, who pleaded guilty to falling asleep while standing watch, broke down in tears as the sentence was read. “Please!” she shouted, falling to her knees.“Put me on restriction! Bust me down in rank instead!”
“I needed to send a strong message that this behavior is unacceptable,” Capt. Leon said to Duffel Blog reporters after the hearing. “I could have sent her to the brig but that would be too lenient. There she would have freedom.”
“Even I think that’s harsh,” Chief Master at Arms Jason Westbrook later told reporters. “I mean, endangering the ship is bad, but put her on bread and water or something. Treat her with a shred of decency.”
Capt. Leon's decision was based on the large number of sweeping liberty restrictions imposed …
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