USS Truxtun CO removed following at-sea crash
The United States (U.S.) Navy has relieved the commanding officer of its guided-missile destroyer, USS Truxtun, after it collided with an oiler during a refueling operation on February 11, 2026.
In a statement issued on February 22, 2026, the Navy said: “Cmdr. James Koffi was removed from command of USS Truxtun (DDG-103) by U.S. 4th Fleet commander Rear Adm. Carlos Sardiello.”
Cmdr. Koffi was temporarily assigned to the Commander, Naval Surface Group Middle East and Cmdr. Taylor Auclair was put in charge of the warship.
The Navy said, “The Navy maintains the highest standards for leaders and holds them accountable when those standards are not met.”
A loud crunch was heard in footage of the collision, followed by crew members shouting, “We’ve been hit.”
Both ships were forced to return to port in Ponce, Puerto Rico, after the collision. Navy officials said that two sailors suffered minor injuries.
Koffi served on the vessel for nearly one year. He took command of Truxtun as the warship’s 13th commanding officer on January 9, 2025.
He was deployed to the Caribbean as part of the Trump administration’s military build up against Venezuela and drug trafficking operations.
Koffi, at that time, said, “Our presence at sea will not merely be a deployment, but a decisive application of Peace Through Strength.”
