Loss of confidence cited in command change, first in 2026

The Navy Expeditionary Combat Command stripped Capt. Douglas Whimpey of his duties as commodore of the First Naval Construction Regiment due to a lack of confidence in his leadership.

Whimpey, who received his firing on Friday, Jan. 23, became the first Navy commander this year to lose a commodore-level command. 

In a Saturday news release published with Military.com, Navy Expeditionary Combat Command Public Affairs ascribed the decision to a “loss of confidence in his ability to command.”

Utah Navy Reserve Whimpey was the commodore of 1 NCR, which oversees and supports Navy Seabee battalions that support combatant commanders with expeditionary construction, engineering, and infrastructure.

Naval Construction Group 1 leader Capt. Angel Santiago, based in Port Hueneme, California, relieved Whimpey. Santiago will lead the unit until a permanent successor is officially named.

Captain Steven Sherman will lead 1 NCR as a commodore, according to the Navy. Officials did not immediately announce Sherman's command date.

The Navy did not explain Whimpey's dismissal. Navy Expeditionary Combat Command merely stated that Whimpey was no longer in command due to a lack of confidence in him, a common reason for senior officer removal.

Senior commanders sometimes cite “loss of confidence” when an officer can no longer efficiently perform command duties, although it does not necessarily suggest criminal activity. Whimpey's relief was not the subject of Navy discipline or investigation.

One of the Navy's most serious administrative measures against an officer is relief from command. Though unusual, such acts maintain order and discipline and assure effective leadership at important operational units.

Whimpey was the first commodore or commanding officer relieved in 2026. The Navy analyzes such activities annually, and they often receive notice due to the high standards demanded of commanding officers.

The First Naval Construction Regiment coordinates Seabee humanitarian aid, contingency construction, and naval and joint force support worldwide.

Navy officials declined to provide further information. Whimpey's future assignment is unknown.