Female sailor awarded for actions during Iran incident; commander being punished

One of the ten sailors involved in the Iran riverine boat incident on January 12, is being praised for her actions that day.

The Navy petty officer second class – the only woman in the group—received a Navy Commendation Medal earlier this month for her heroic service.

According to Military.com the medal is in “recognition of her efforts to summon help under the noses of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard members who captured the crews.”

The female sailor was the number two gunner aboard the second vessel. She was able to activate an emergency radio beacon to signal distress at sea. She was reportedly able to send that signal while “in a position of surrender and at gunpoint.”

An investigation into the embarrassing incident in Iranian waters revealed that the sailor showed “extraordinary courage in activating an emergency beacon while kneeling, bound, and guarded at Iranian gunpoint, at risk to her own safety.”

As a result of that distress call, the Coast Guard cutter Monomoy notified the parent unit in Bahrain when the boats appeared to have drifted into Iranian waters.

Three officers were removed in all, as a result of the mistakes that were made during the incident.  Four of the sailors were sent to Admiral’s Mast- including Lt. David Nartker –who received an unspecified punishment for comments he made during a recording — while in captivity.

 Lt. Nartker is reportedly appealing the punishment.

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