Junior Officer’s Career Terminated After Accidentally Referring to the Head as the Bathroom in Front of Master Chief

NAVAL STATION NORFOLK, Va. — The Navy confirmed Thursday that Ensign Patrick J. Daly, 23, assigned to USS Bainbridge (DDG-96), has received transfer orders to Navy Personnel Command in Millington, Tennessee following an incident on May 12th in which he referred to the ship’s head as “the bathroom” in the presence of Master Chief Petty Officer (Surface) Garrett L. Donovan, 49, during a scheduled civilian contractor orientation tour of the vessel.

The comment was made at approximately 1134.

By approximately 1145, Master Chief Donovan had spoken with the ship’s executive officer.

“We hold our officers to a standard,” said Commander Elena V. Park, USS Bainbridge executive officer, in a brief statement provided through Naval Station Norfolk’s public affairs office. “Part of that standard is representing the naval service correctly to civilian guests. What Ensign Daly said was not correct. We addressed it through appropriate administrative channels.”

According to statements provided by three witnesses present during the tour, Ensign Daly was directing the civilian contractor toward a passageway on the ship’s second deck when he said — and is quoted directly in the ship’s official record of the incident — “The bathroom is just down that way.”

Master Chief Donovan, who was positioned six feet behind Ensign Daly at the time of the statement, did not respond immediately.

He did not respond at all during the tour.

His response was provided after the contractor had departed.

The ship’s official record notes that Master Chief Donovan’s subsequent conversation with the executive officer lasted approximately ten minutes. The XO’s conversation with Ensign Daly lasted fourteen minutes. A formal counseling statement was issued. Ensign Daly’s current performance evaluation was updated. Transfer orders were cut by the following Friday.

Ensign Daly will report to Navy Personnel Command in Millington on June 6th. He has been assigned to an administrative duties billet. He has not yet been issued a parking permit. The permit process, a Personnel Command spokesperson confirmed, typically takes two to three weeks.

“I understand the standard now,” Ensign Daly said, in a brief statement released through the ship’s legal officer. “I take full responsibility for what I said. I will not say it again.”

He did not specify what he would say instead.

Master Chief Donovan has submitted a formal request to the Chief of Naval Personnel that civilian contractor orientation packages for all future ship tours include a laminated reference card containing approved naval vocabulary. The request is under review.

A decision is expected within 60 to 90 days.

The head is still called the head.

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