The commanding officer of the Newport, Rhode Island, division of the Navy's undersea warfare research and development center was relieved of command Wednesday after an investigation found evidence of a hostile work environment and poor command climate.
Capt. Howard Goldman, commander of Naval Undersea Warfare Center Newport, was relieved by center commander Rear Adm. Moises DelToro III due to a loss of confidence in his ability to command, based on the investigation, according to a news release.
A spokesman for the center, David Sanders, told Military.com the investigation followed "several instances of workforce complaints of a hostile work environment."
Goldman has been reassigned, though officials did not say exactly what his next post would be. No further disciplinary action is pending, Sanders said.
In a statement provided to Military.com, Goldman said he accepted the Navy's decision to fire him from the position.
"Command in the Navy is all about responsibility and accountability," he said. "I was responsible to lead NUWC Division Newport and that leadership did not meet standards. I was held accountable; I accept that decision."
Capt. Geoffrey DeBeauclair, DelToro's chief of staff, will command the division until a permanent relief is assigned, according to the release.
The Newport Division is responsible for "full-spectrum research, development, test and evaluation, engineering, and fleet support center" for submarine warfare systems as well as other undersea systems, according to the division's website.
Goldman, who took command of the division in November 2014, previously served as commanding officer for Navy Submarine Training Center Pacific. He also previously commanded the Los Angeles-class submarine Toledo.
--Hope Hodge Seck can be reached at hope.seck@military.com. Follow her on Twitter at @HopeSeck.
