Censured for Enterprise videos, Capt. Honors seeks public support

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Censured for Enterprise videos, Capt. Honors seeks public support

NORFOLK (AP) -- A Navy captain who has been censured for producing raunchy videos while he served aboard the USS Enterprise is hoping public support can keep him from being discharged.

Capt. Owen P. Honors Jr. is seeking letters of support on a Website ahead of a formal board of inquiry that will determine whether he engaged in misconduct or sub-standard performance as executive officer aboard the carrier.
Honors was the aircraft carrier's No. 2 officer when he helped produce and appeared in the series of videos that aired on the ship's closed-circuit TV station between October 2005 and December 2007.

Honors was relieved of command this January shortly before a planned deployment after Navy leaders learned about the videos from media reports. Honors said the videos were intended to boost morale.

"I, like most of you, remain shocked and disappointed that actions that occurred over six years ago intended solely to motivate and educate ENTERPRISE's hard-working adult Sailors has led to this reaction by Navy leadership. I have loved serving my country, my Navy, and my Sailors and I want the opportunity to continue to serve honorably in the United States Navy," Honors wrote on his website.

The Navy's investigation found Honors produced at least 25 videos with inappropriate scenes, including anti-gay slurs, sailors of both genders shown in shower scenes and vulgar language. Other videos made references to prostitution in foreign ports, eating excrement and drinking urine, and simulated rectal exams. In one video, Honors acknowledged receiving complaints about their content, but continued making them.

Honors' website asks members of the public and the military to fill out surveys that will be submitted to his attorney ahead of the board meeting. In a letter Honors' posted on his site, he said the support was crucial.

Honors' attorney, Charles Gittins, did not immediately return a message left by The Associated Press.

Among other things, the surveys ask whether the respondent was offended by the videos Honors showed. The Navy has made each of them public for viewing on a website.

http://captowenhonors.com/
 
Reactive responses from opposing views of the issue, leading to poster bashing and contenious words, and ultimately a thread locking in 4, 3, 2, 1.....
 
I don't think it needs to be locked; but i think Honors' plea for public support will not be very productive. His request should be directed towards the sailors aboard the ship at the time. The problem with seeking public support, is i don't think he'll get it. These actions were 5-6 years ago. Times change. Moods change. Worst of all, political correctness gets stricter. In other words; anyone, especially a civilian, who looks at such videos today, will not be able to give an opinion of them based on social acceptance 5-6 years ago. Their opinion will be based on today's social norms. And if produced today, such videos would be totally unacceptable. Political correctness, and everything it stands for, is a joke and is destroying our country. Unfortunately, it's also a fact of the times.

If Honors wants support, he needs to get it from the crew of the ship at the time of the actions.
 
Honors reprimanded but can stay in uniform

By William H. McMichael - Staff writer


Posted : Wednesday Aug 24, 2011 14:08:22 EDT
NavyTimes.com
http://www.navytimes.com/news/2011/08/navy-honors-reprimanded-but-can-stay-in-uniform-082411/

NAVAL STATION NORFOLK, Va. — The former executive officer of the carrier Enterprise can remain on active duty despite a finding that his job performance aboard the carrier fell short of standards, a Navy board of inquiry decided Wednesday.

Capt. Owen Honors was brought to the board of inquiry for co-producing dozens of controversial and sometimes bawdy video vignettes shown aboard the ship in 2006 and 2007.

The three-admiral board unanimously agreed Honors committed misconduct, failed to demonstrate acceptable qualities of leadership required of an officer in his grade and failed to conform to prescribed standards of military deportment. But it also voted 3-0 that Honors “be retained in the naval service.”

But how long Honors will be able to stay in the service may be up to an unrelated selective early retirement board.

Charles Gittins, Honors’ attorney, said that while Honors has received no official notification that he was being considered for the early retirement board, his time in grade and service fall into the range of officers being considered for cuts. Gittins said it’s his understanding that the results of that board could be released as early as Sept. 1.

Given the letter of censure from Navy Secretary Ray Mabus awarded to Honors earlier this year, the officer is on thin ice, Gittins said.

“He’s an easy target,” Gittins said afterward. “That separates you out from all the other captains that are in the zone.”


Fired CO admits he shouldn’t have made videos (Aug. 23)
 
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