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Navy removes Boxer skipper

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The Navy removed the skipper of the amphibious assault ship Boxer on Monday citing “equal opportunity concerns,” which usually refers to complaints based on gender or race.

Capt. Wayne R. Brown took command of the San Diego-based Boxer in July after serving as its executive officer, the No. 2 person on the ship, for more than a year.

“The complaints centered on verbal interactions and comments that he made,” said Lt. Rick Chernitzer, spokesman for Naval Surface Forces in San Diego, where Brown has been temporarily reassigned.

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The Boxer and its sister big-deck amphibs are big warships, only smaller than Navy aircraft carriers. With a crew of more than 1,000 sailors, the ships are built to transport up to 1,700 Marines and their aircraft.

The Boxer returned in April from an 8-month deployment.

Brown started his Navy career in 1986 as an enlisted sailor and was chosen for Officer Candidate School in Newport, R.I., in 1989.

When he took command of the Boxer in July, Brown said, “I am truly humbled to be given the privilege to serve such a hard working, professional and ambitious command that always met every challenge head on with a sense of pride.”

Being relieved of command for cause is often the end of a Navy officer’s career. At Brown’s level, an ousted commanding officer is usually allowed to retire quietly.

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