Tag Archives: liam bruen

Navy Secretary Censures Call Sign CO

Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus censured Cmdr Liam Bruen, the recently retired Navy fighter squadron commander, over the naming ceremony of an administrative officer who took offense.

In a slap at the fading and officially out-of-favor tradition of racy, sarcastic and irreverent aviation call signs, a just-retired Navy fighter squadron commanding officer was censured by Navy Secretary Ray Mabus Wednesday for failing to halt and subsequently condoning the hazing of a junior officer at a 2009 call sign review board where assembled officers voted to call the officer “Romo’s Bitch” the Navy announced…

The Navy also counseled the unit’s second in command, Cmdr Damien Christopher, who had gone on to command, for violations of the Navy’s “policies on hazing and Read more

Navy Officer Wants Apology for Callsign

Lt.jg Steve Crowston is the former enlisted Sailor who became an officer and then went through a fighter pilot naming, as previously discussed:

Crowston told the IG that [his commander, Commander Liam] Bruen and the unit’s then-executive officer, Cmdr. Damien Christopher, were in the unit’s ready room during an August 2009 all-officer review of squadron call signs, when Crowston was offered choices such as “Fagmeister,” “Gay Boy” and the group’s final choice, “Romo’s Bitch” — a reference to the quarterback of Crowston’s favorite football team, the Dallas Cowboys. Crowston was the squadron’s administrative/legal officer.

Crowston is demanding an apology for the experience:  Read more

IG Says Ensign Faced Retaliation over Complaint

The Inspector General has reportedly determined that US Navy Ensign Steve Crowston faced reprisal in the form of an “unfavorable fitness report” after lodging complaints against his leadership.

Crowston was an “administration/legal officer” and had recently become an officer after previously serving as a petty officer.  The aviators in his unit included him in the fighter pilot tradition of a Naming; Crowston lodged complaints as a result.

Crowston’s then-commander, Cmdr Liam Bruen, Read more