Virginia Beach-based Naval Special Warfare Group Eight fired Navy SEAL Capt. Two months prior to losing control of . Richard Zaszewski was accused of driving under the influence, according to court documents.
Naval Special Warfare Command announced , March 20 , that Zaszewski was relieved of duty due to a “loss of confidence in his ability to demand”. Court documents show Zaszewski is facing a criminal in , Virginia Beach General District Court , for a initial- act driving while intoxicated cost stemming from a , Jan. 19 , imprisonment.
Zaszewski is a 26- time occupation sailor. He entered the defense in , May 1997 , and was promoted to captain in , August 2019. At the time of his imprisonment, Zaszewski was the dominant officer of the , Virginia Beach- based SEAL system at , Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek.
Virginia Beach , authorities stopped Zaszewski around  , 2 a. m.  , Jan. 19 , for weaving in and out of roads, according to the arrest report. The seaman failed a field sobriety test, and his blood alcohol level was recorded at 0.18 percent, or more than half the state’s constitutional control, according to the document presented in court.
While , Navy , officials have declined to comment on whether the legal transportation cost is related to the fire,  , Hampton Roads- based law firm JAG Defense said the , Navy , has had a regular zero- tolerance policy regarding the misconduct of leaders for decades.
” Any dominant agent who is accused of a crime like a DUI is going to be taken out of control. The , Navy , cannot — and does not — survive wrongdoing from its top leaders”, said , Grover Baxley, founding lawyer of JAG Defense and a previous energetic- duty judge advocate in the , Air Force.
Navy , officials are held to a higher standard of personal and professional do, the company said in , a March information release , when announcing Zaszewski’s fire.
” They are expected to uphold the highest standards of responsibility, dependability, and command, and the , Navy , holds them guilty when they fall short of those requirements”, the company said.
Lt. Cmdr.  , Chelsea Irish, spokesperson for Naval Special Warfare Command added,” The decision was made with careful consideration of the facts and the imperative to uphold the high standards of , Navy , leadership”.
When asked if Zaszewski’s arrest was related to his firing, Irish declined to provide additional information.
Zaszewski is among six commanding officers to be fired by the , Navy , this year, according to reports from multiple defense media outlets. He declined to comment at this time through his defense attorney,  , Robert Morecock.
Throughout his nearly three decades with the , Navy, Zaszewski has received 26 awards and decorations, including a Silver Star, three Bronze Stars including one with a” V” for valor in combat, five Defense Meritorious Service Medals, two , Navy/Marine Corps , Commendation Medals, the Combat Action Ribbon, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal and the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal.
Baxley, who has represented , Navy , commanding officers since 2005, said senior leaders are held to a higher standard. He warned that junior officers and junior enlisted personnel could face harsh punishment, including harsh evaluations or non-judicial punishment, but junior sailors who have a DUI on record can still advance in their naval careers.
If a commanding officer is relieved of command as a result of misconduct, such as a DUI, they wo n’t be competitive for any promotions or positions in the future, according to Baxley.
Baxley is permitted to practice in military courts. His firm, JAG Defense, operates offices in , Norfolk , and , Virginia Beach , as well as , Cataumet, Massachusetts.
Baxley claimed that if an officer is relieved for misconduct like a DUI, they must provide justification for their continued service on the water. A board of inquiry made up of three senior officers may hear the accused officer’s case. The board decides whether the officer should be fired or kept, and what honorable, general, or other honorable service designations the officer should receive.
The board will also suggest the rank the officer should be allowed to retire if the officer is retirement-eligible, according to Baxley. The board of inquiry’s findings and recommendations are forwarded to the secretary of the , Navy, who makes the final decision on disposition.
Zaszewski’s next court hearing is scheduled for , May 15.
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