Hi everybody Cheryl Ackison here with another edition of Full Measure

After Hours. Today we're going to take a look at back to back tragedies in the

U.S. Navy in 2017 and how they provided a disturbing window into some critical weaknesses you might not have heard about.

And as global developments promised to further challenge the U.S. Navy really consider the greatest

sea force in the world, we look at a sea change that some say is needed

to ensure our national security.

Joining me again today is investigative producer Daniel Steinberger.

Great to be with you

with you as always, hope everybody is staying healthy and practicing social distancing.

This investigation was really a long time in the making and I think it's important

to give some background first so that you can understand the backdrop for the rest of the material.

First of all, the USS Fitzgerald is a Navy destroyer. It was on duty in 2017 in June, when in the middle of the night

off the coast of Japan, some junior crew members that were on duty guided this ship into the path of a foreign cargo ship accidentally.

The commander was asleep in his cabin at the time, getting ready to do some exercises in the China Sea the next day.

He was awakened, in fact, his name was Bryce Benson.

He was awakened by this 30,000 ton tanker coming bursting through his cabin, inches from his head and his body, inches from crushing him.

He got a concussion.

He was passed out for some period of time. The crew managed

to save him, but sadly it was the deadliest naval accident in four decades. Seven sailors were killed in this accident.

Poor communication among the crew was blamed.

There were some shortfalls in training and maintenance and manning the commander Benson had

claimed at the time he was down a position of Chief Quartermaster in charge of

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