Four days before he was relieved as commanding officer of the submarine Georgia’s blue crew, Capt. Geoffry Patterson was arrested and charged with driving under the influence of alcohol on January 8 by sheriff’s deputies in the county where the submarine is based, according to civilian records.
An inmate log at the Camden County Sheriff’s Office in Georgia, the same county in which the Georgia is stationed at Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay, shows that Patterson, 53, was booked that day on charges of driving under the influence of alcohol, improper lane change/failure to maintain lane and no insurance.
Patterson was booked just after midnight on the misdemeanor charges and was released on bond about seven hours later, according to jail records.
A defense official granted anonymity to discuss personnel matters confirmed that Patterson was arrested and booked but declined to elaborate on whether that factored into Patterson’s relief.
The Navy fired Patterson as one of Georgia’s COs on Friday, and disclosed the relief in a brief statement Monday.
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The sea service declined to state why Patterson was fired in the statement, stating only a “loss of confidence” in his ability to command, boilerplate terminology that the Navy uses for every CO firing.
Patterson, a prior-enlisted sailor, is the first commanding officer the Navy has fired in 2024.
Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay is the home of all East Coast Ohio-class submarines.
Navy Times editor Geoff Ziezulewicz contributed to this report.
