Helicopter Squad Cmdr. relieved of duty

NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) - The commanding officer of the Norfolk-based Helicopter Mine Countermeasures Squadron was relieved of duty Saturday.

Cmdr. Sara Santoski was relieved of duty because of a loss of confidence in her ability to command, according to a press release from the Navy.

The decision comes in the course of an ongoing assessment of the squadron following the July 19 crash of a MH-53E Sea Stallion helicopter in Oman which resulted in the death of two sailors and another incident in August at the Bahrain International Airport involving a MH-53E helicopter, according to the release.

Master chief Petty Officer Bobby T. Anderson was also relieved of his duties as the squadron's command master chief because of "unsatisfactory performance".

According to the news release, the initial findings in the assessment showed that Cmdr. Santoski "failed to strictly enforce operational, maintenance, and safety standards for the squadron as well as failing to ensure a proper command climate."

Capt. Todd Flannery, the deputy commander of Helicopter Sea Combat Wing Atlantic, will serve as interim commanding officer until a permanent replacement is identified.