Navy Captain Who Made Crude Videos Can Stay: Panel

A U.S. Navy panel ruled the former commander of the USS Enterprise nuclear-powered aircraft carrier committed misconduct by broadcasting raunchy videos aboard the aircraft carrier, but that he shouldn't be discharged.

Among other things, the videos included simulated same-sex shower scenes, anti-gay slurs, and references to prostitution in foreign ports.

The three-admiral board of inquiry unanimously agreed that Capt. Owen P. Honors' actions constituted misconduct and substandard performance but that he could continue his nearly three-decade Navy career, The Virginian-Pilot said. They didn't elaborate, USAToday.com reported Thursday.

In its decision, the panel agreed that Honors committed conduct unbecoming a naval officer, failure to demonstrate acceptable qualities of leadership, and substandard performance.

To say that Honors was relieved by the decision would be an understatement.

He let out a sigh of relief after the board of inquiry read its decision after months of uncertainty about his career largely came to a close, The Associated Press reported Thursday.

Honors was removed as the carrier's top officer in January, days before a scheduled deployment, after several of the videos were leaked to media outlets. Honors was reassigned to administrative duties because of the videos.

Honors said the videos were made to improve morale while teaching important shipboard lessons, such as water conservation.

Political/Public Policy Analysis: The view from here argues that the sentence appears to be rather light, given the commander-level status, but the panel's decision is respected. Hopefully, the conduct won't occur again.