Creator of USS Enterprise Gay Disparaging Videos and Others Face Punishment

In a fairly surprising move (I had expected some small slaps on the wrist), it appears that the U.S. Navy will inflict some serious punishment on Owen Honors and other superior offices after investigating the production of anti-gay and sexually sleazy video aboard the carrier USS Enterprises. The investigation thankfully has also targeted admirals among the 40 sailors and officers who knew of the inappropriate videos and either turned a blind eye or encouraged them. The admirals are Rear Adm. Larry Rice, now at the Norfolk-based Joint Forces Command, and Rear Adm. Ron Horton (pictured at left), until Thursday commander of a Navy logistics group in Singapore. With all the blather about gays harming the "good order" of the military by supporters of DADT, it's sweet to see these folks getting bit in the ass by their tasteless and sometimes homophobic behavior. Here are highlights from the Virginian Pilot:
*
After reviewing findings from the two-month inquiry, Harvey faulted 40 sailors and officers, recommending serious penalties for six of them, including punitive letters of censure - which Carroll called "a career killer" - for four. In addition to Honors, one other officer facing censure has now been removed from command.
*
Besides interviewing dozens of sailors and officers, investigators went to great lengths to collect roughly 55 separate videos, transfer them to one format, and catalogue their air dates as well as detailed descriptions of any objectionable content.

The four officers recommended for punitive letters of censure are Honors; Capt. John Dixon, who succeeded Honors as executive officer and recently returned from a solo overseas assignment; and the two officers who served as the carrier's skipper during Honors' tenure: Rear Adm. Larry Rice, now at the Norfolk-based Joint Forces Command, and Rear Adm. Ron Horton, who was fired Thursday from his position as commander of a Navy logistics group in Singapore.
*
In his endorsement of the investigation's findings, Harvey said he recommended them for censure because their actions were the most egregious.
*
Honors masterminded and starred in the videos and failed to tone down their content despite complaints from crew members and counseling from his superiors. Dixon continued to make videos with objectionable content, though they were notably tamer than Honors' movies. Rice and Horton were aware of the videos, and while they counseled Honors about them, they failed in their duties as his direct superior to see that the movies stopped, the investigation concluded.
*
Harvey has recommended lesser punishment for two flag officers who served as strike group commanders when the videos were being shown, Rear Adm. Ray Spicer and Vice Adm. Daniel Holloway. Besides issuing nonpunitive letters of caution to each, he also has requested that a copy of the investigation be put into their records, which could prevent Holloway from advancing.
*
Included in the investigation's recommendations is the suggestion that "a command climate survey" be carried out to ensure that the culture that existed on the Enterprise under Honors isn't present on other carriers.