A bad command climate survey may have sunk the career of a San Diego cruiser skipper, but then there was that deal with the goat.

When investigators began peeling back the onion on cruiser Lake Erie earlier this year, they started hearing stories about Master Chief Charlie, a four-legged visitor who occasionally appeared on the ship and even made at least one Pacific voyage .

Master Chief Charlie, an adopted pygmy goat that enjoys granola bars, served as a mascot for the Lake Erie. He bleated at command picnics and family events, according to a source with direct knowledge of Charlie's handling. The source requested anonymity because he wasn't authorized to speak publicly about the handling of a naval animal.

"Charlie was the unofficial face of Lake Erie," the source said. "He's always a big hit with the kids."

But when Capt. John Banigan, the cruiser's commanding officer, agreed to take Master Chief Charlie along for the ship's homeport shift from Hawaii to San Diego, he unwittingly ran afoul of California's regulations on transporting domesticated goats into the state. Banigan was removed Monday from his post as the cruiser's CO; an investigation into the command's climate remains ongoing.

Violating "California's domestic pet entry laws" is one of the points of the investigation that led to Banigan's relief, two official sources confirmed.

Banigan, 49, declined a request for comment through a spokesman.

Salty goat

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Here's how it all went down.

It started as a joke in 2012 by Lake Erie's then-Command Master Chief Jack Johnson, who told the Erie's chief selects they should get a goat as a mascot, a play on "goat locker," a slang phrase for the chief's mess.

Then-Electronics Technician 1st Class (chief select) Darren Wilks told Navy Times then that Johnson never really guessed they'd have followed through on it.

"We were initially thinking of getting a stuffed goat or something to hang in the mess," Wilkes said. "But we decided to get him a real live goat. We thought he'd get a kick out of it."

130806-N-WF272-057 PEARL HARBOR (Aug. 6, 2013) Chief petty officer (CPO) selectees assigned to various commands at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam stand in formation alongside Charlie the goat, representing the CPO organization. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Diana Quinlan/Released)

Master Chief Charlie joins chief petty officer selectees in a formation at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii.

Photo Credit: MC3 Diana Quinlan/Navy

So, sure enough, the CPO selects acquired a newborn pygmy goat, which sported a white coat with black and brown spots. They issued him a tiny blue-and-gray Navy working uniform goat vest with a Lake Erie command crest patch midway down the back.

At the time Master Chief Charlie was christened "Jack" after the master chief. Navy Times was unable to determine when the goat's name was changed to Charlie.

"It's amazing how such a little guy like that has brought us all together, tighter than we originally were," Johnson told Navy Times.

Well, the chiefs earned their anchors and the goat was kept on now-Chief Wilkes' ranch, making the occasional appearance at ship events.

Fast forward to September 2014. The ship is departing Hawaii on a homeport shift to San Diego. The chief's mess didn't want to depart Hawaii without its mascot.

So they decided to make the week-long transit across the Pacific Ocean to San Diego with Master Chief Charlie tied up on the aft missile deck.

"It's a pretty long transit and every time we'd walk by I'd be thinking, 'Man, this goat is going to die,' " the source said.

But Master Chief Charlie, like a true old salt, braved the wind and waves and made it to his new sunny SoCal home.

When officials began reviewing Lake Erie's command climate survey, it appears they were not amused to discover Charlie's big Pacific voyage, which may have violated some Navy regs.

To be sure, there is no specific regulation that prohibits the boarding of livestock on Navy ships, said a Navy official with direct knowledge of the investigation who spoke on background to discuss interstate goat transfers.

According to California's department of food and agriculture website, goats entering the state have to be examined by a veterinarian within 30 days before moving, be tagged or micro-chipped, and the owners issued a permit. The laws are similar for cats and dogs, though it's unclear what the laws are governing enlisted pet pygmy goats.

Master Chief Charlie is in good health and spirits, said the Navy official who was unable to provide the goat's location as of Thursday. The official also declined to say whether anyone else on the ship was under investigation, as part of the command climate probe or for the Master Chief Charlie affair.

Charlie, 3, could not be made available for comment.

130812-N-ZI511-998 PEARL HARBOR (Aug. 12, 2013) Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Adm. Jonathan Greenert greets chief petty officer (CPO) selectees assigned to various commands at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam and Charlie the goat, representing the CPO organization. Adm. Greenert held an all-hands call at Bloch Arena at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam to speak to Sailors about the current status of the Navy and answer any questions they have about the future of the fleet. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Chief Julianne F. Metzger/Released)

Master Chief Charlie, along with chief petty officer selectees, hobnobbed with Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Jon Greenert in 2013 at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii.

Photo Credit: MCC Julianne F. Metzger/U.S. Navy