The Navy’s inspector general for the Atlantic submarine force is investigating claims that pervasive cheating has tainted exams administered to enlisted sailors and officers in Groton and elsewhere as part of their nuclear training, The Associated Press reports.
The official leading the inquiry, Pat Urello, told The AP that it began in August in response to a complaint that originated in Groton, the home port of an attack submarine that was rocked by an exam-cheating scandal last year.
The investigation could lead to changes for the submarine force, said Urello, the force inspector general.
“We have powers to take corrective action if corrective action is warranted,” he said. Urello, who works for the submarine force commander in Norfolk, Va., said he could not provide further details.
After the cheating ring was discovered aboard the Groton-based USS Memphis last November, the Navy fired the commanding officer and kicked off 10 percent of the crew. Navy officials said it reflected a rare lapse in integrity, but several former submarine officers told the AP for a story in August that it is not uncommon for sailors to receive answer keys or other hints before training exams.
