Navy fires Naval Justice School’s top two leaders

The Navy on Tuesday fired the commanding and executive officers of the Naval Justice School “due to a loss of confidence in their ability to command,” according to the service. 

The commander, Capt. Amy Larson, and her deputy, Marine Corps Lt. Col. Brett Swaim, were relieved of their command “following an assessment of the current [Naval Justice School] climate,” the Navy said in a release.  

“Neither officer was involved in misconduct,” the statement added. 

The statement did not offer further details, though Navy Times reported that neither Larson nor Swaim is facing disciplinary action. 

Located in Newport, R.I., the Naval Justice School is meant to train lawyers for the Navy and Marine Corps. 

Larson, who had been the school’s commanding officer for only eight months, since Sept. 10, 2021, has been temporarily reassigned to the Naval Legal Service Command (NLSC) headquarters. 

The command, based in Washington, D.C., is meant to provide legal services worldwide to Navy and Marine Corps personnel. 

Swaim, meanwhile has “served in various roles” at the school since summer of 2020, with his new assignment not yet named. 

Capt. Mark Klein, deputy commander of NLSC, will take over as the interim commanding officer for the school, while Cmdr. Abigail Myers, Naval Justice School operations officer, “is assigned as the acting executive officer while NLSC works with the Marine Corps to identify a permanent relief,” according to the Navy statement.