In addition to more training in basic seamanship, the Navy is introducing other reforms aimed at preventing more collisions at sea. The moves came after two destroyers, the USS Fitzgerald and the USS John S. McCain (pictured above), collided with merchant ships in the Pacific recently, resulting in the death of 17 sailors. In a wide-ranging report, the Navy earlier said that the collisions were avoidable and were caused by preventable errors on both destroyers. It found that sailors were often sleep-deprived and didn’t have enough training to do their jobs properly. As a result, the Navy ordered additional training in basic…

The two Navy destroyers recently involved in collisions in the Pacific, killing 17 sailors, both had long records of failing to fulfill key training requirements, according to the Government Accountability Office. The USS Fitzgerald had expired training certifications for 10 out of 10 key warfare mission areas in June, while the USS John S. McCain had expired certifications in six out of the ten. John Pendleton, the GAO’s director of defense force structure, testified before Congress that the Navy’s aggressive deployment, particularly in ships based in Japan (including the Fitzgerald and the McCain), gave the Navy a greater presence in…