Battle Group Acting Commander- Captain Jose Corpus

As the Acting Carrier Group 5 commander, Captain Jose Corpus is now responsible for 10 ships and nine air wing squadrons, comprising the largest battle group in the Navy and the only permanently forward-deployed battle group.

Capt. Dick Corpus was born in Quezon City,
Philippines, in 1954. His family moved to Seattle,
which he now calls home, in 1967. He graduated from
the U.S. Naval Academy in 1977 with a bachelor’s in

Marine engineering.

 
His last duty station was submarine squadron 15 in Guam. 
He re-activated the squadron as the first Squadron Submarine Commander,
 another first for Filipino). He knew that I am following his career. 
When he received his order to head and organize the Submarine Development
 2 years ago he emailed me before assuming his new command. 
The Guam-based nuclear submarines probably would be called for duty in the 
Middle East crisis. You might remember that the first cruise missile was fired 
from nuclear powered submarine during the first Iraq War. Corpus earned the 
coveted Battle “E” (Battle Efficiency) when he was the skipper of this submarine class ship.
 
The USS Kitty Hawk Battle Group commander, Rear Adm.
Steven Kunkle, was relieved of command Thursday,
accused of an “inappropriate relationship” with a
female officer.
 
Citing “a loss of confidence in his ability to
command,” 7th Fleet commander Vice Adm. Robert Willard
took the action following an Article 15 hearing
Thursday at Yokosuka Naval Base, Japan, said Cmdr.
Matt Brown, a 7th Fleet spokesman. He added that
Kunkle received a punitive letter of reprimand.
 
The Kitty Hawk Battle Group received orders Feb. 7 to
head to the Central Command area of responsibility and
is traveling there, Brown said.
 
“The Kitty Hawk’s orders to the Central Command region
are not affected and the battle group remains en route
as directed,” Brown said.
 
Lt. Cmdr. Jeff Davis, a spokesman for the Pentagon’s
civilian leadership, said that defense officials
regard Kunkle’s situation as an internal Navy issue,
and that the change of command will not adversely
affect the Kitty Hawk’s ability to fight should the
U.S. go to war with Iraq.
 
“Personnel matters are handled by the services,” Davis
said Thursday. “We are confident that the Navy
leadership is managing this appropriately, and that
this battle group will be ready for any future
operations.”
 
Lt. Cmdr. Pauline Storum, a Navy spokeswoman for Navy
headquarters at the Pentagon, said Thursday that “7th
Fleet is the convening authority, and Navy
headquarters declines to comment.”
 
Capt. Dick Corpus, the battle group’s chief of staff,
will serve as acting battle group commander until
Kunkle’s relief is identified.

The Japanese-based U.S. aircraft carrier Kitty Hawk has been ordered to the Persian Gulf region to join four other carriers poised to launch air strikes in a possible war against Iraq, the Pentagon (news - web sites) confirmed on Friday.

The USS Carl Vinson, based in Bremerton, Wash., was ordered to the Pacific to replace the Kitty Hawk and maintain a carrier presence within striking distance of North Korea
 
For more information about Captain Jose Corpus visit my website
https://members.tripod.com/philusnavy
 Filipinos in the US Navy
 
Nestor Palugod Enriquez