The Navy has fired the senior enlisted leader of the San Diego-based guided-missile destroyer Pinckney.

Command Master Chief Petty Officer Ralph Crowder, III

Command Master Chief Ralph S. Crowder, III, was relieved of his duties on Monday.

Rear Adm. Patrick Piercey, commander of Carrier Strike Group 9, made the decision “due to his loss of confidence in Crowder’s ability to fulfill his role as the command master chief,” said Lt. Rebecca Haggard, a Navy spokeswoman.


Crowder was the subject of an “Equal Opportunity” complaint, the mechanism commonly used for reporting allegations of bias or discrimination based on characteristics such as gender, race or sexual orientation.

He also had “some troubling results on a command climate survey. This led to a command investigation that found (Crowder) ineffective in his role. He was relieved for a loss of confidence following the investigation,” Haggard said.

Crowder, who had served as command master chief on the Pinckney (DDG 91) since February 2013, has been temporarily reassigned to Commander Naval Surface Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet.

Such dismissals are usually a career-ender in the Navy.


Crowder, originally from Baltimore, Maryland, enlisted in the Navy in 1991. He obtained a Bachelors of Science degree in Professional Aeronautics from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.

Command Master Chief Petty Officer Medea Dudley is serving as acting senior enlisted leader aboard the Pinckney.

The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer returned last August from a seven-month deployment to the Western Pacific and Indian Ocean.