The US Navy ousted the commanding officer of USS Hershel Williams two months after the tanker-like sea base ran aground in Africa

• The US Navy ousted the commander of USS Hershel Williams after the ship ran aground in Africa.
• Capt. Lenard Mitchell was relieved two months after the grounding due to a "loss of confidence."
• Mitchell is the ninth commanding officer to be fired that the Navy has publicly acknowledged.

The Navy has relieved the commanding officer of the expeditionary mobile base ship USS Hershel "Woody" Williams two months after the vessel briefly ran aground outside the African country of Gabon, a Navy statement announced Monday.