Navy Cmdr. Sarah DeGroot, commanding officer of the 420-person dock landing ship USS Rushmore, abruptly resigned Monday and walked off the job.
A commanding officer resigning voluntarily is incredibly rare. It’s not clear why DeGroot handed in her command, but she did in fact have that option, unlike in other branches of the military, where walking off the job would be met with serious punishment, Navy Times reports.
DeGroot, a native of Long Beach, Calif., informed Capt. Homer Denius, head of Amphibious Squadron 3, she was resigning, according to sources who spoke to Navy Times.
“I don’t think I have anything to say at this time,” DeGroot told Navy Times when pressed for more information about her stunning decision.
Until the Navy can come up with a more permanent arrangement, Cmdr. DeWayne Sanders has assumed temporary command of Rushmore.
Lt. Cmdr. Rebecca Haggard confirmed that at the current time, there are no administrative or disciplinary actions against DeGroot.
DeGroot first took command of Rushmore back in March and has earned the awards of Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal (five awards) and the Meritorious Service Medal, according to the service. She graduated from Texas A&M in 1998 with degrees in marine biology and marine transportation.
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