US Navy officials said on October 10 that this week, the U.S. Navy fired the position of commander of the ballistic missile nuclear submarine (SSBN 742). The U.S. Navy issued a statement stating that the commander of the 10th submarine brigade of the Navy, Navy Major General Bob Worth fired the position of Colonel Robert Moreno, who led the crew of the U.S. Navy nuclear submarine "Blue", because of "the loss of confidence in its command ability".

The U.S. Navy¡¯s statement did not provide further information about the decision to dismiss Moreno¡¯s position, and a Navy spokesman also declined to provide further details. The statement said: ¡°The personal and professional behavior of Navy commanders must comply with high standards. They should adhere to the highest standards of responsibility, reliability and leadership, and if they do not meet these standards, the Navy will pursue their responsibilities.¡±

Moreno took over as crew commander of the "Blue" boat of the "Wyoming" in May 2024. Each ballistic missile nuclear submarine of the U.S. Navy is equipped with two crew groups, each commanded by different commanders, namely the "blue" boat group and the "golden" boat group. When the submarine is deployed, the two crew groups take turns on duty.

Moreno was commissioned as a submarine officer in December 2005, according to Navy records. He subsequently served aboard the USS Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Dallas, and Cheyenne nuclear submarines. Navy officials said that the nuclear submarine "Wyoming" is currently undergoing long-term maintenance and repairs in port, and Moreno's dismissal "will not affect the mission or plan of the boat."

Moreno's dismissal comes amid a series of high-profile firings in the U.S. Navy this year. U.S. Defense Secretary Hagerseth fired Lisa Franchetti, Secretary of Naval Operations, in February. Nancy Rakore, commander of the Naval Reserve Forces, and Milton Sands III, commander of the Naval Special Operations Command, were dismissed in August. Hagerseth also fired Navy chief of staff Jon Harrison in October. According to reports, Hegseth and the Pentagon did not provide specific reasons for these dismissal decisions.

According to reports, ballistic missile nuclear submarine commanders directly oversee and control U.S. nuclear weapons operations, one of the only three positions listed as ¡°critical¡± in the Pentagon¡¯s Nuclear Weapons Personnel Reliability Program (PRP), with the other two positions being bombers and missile launchers carrying out nuclear strike missions. Such personnel may be suspended or dismissed due to errors, minor violations and even illnesses, and reports of their public dismissal are very rare. By 2023, ¡°Alabama¡± ballistic missile nuclear submarine commander Michael Rale became the first publicly dismissed U.S. ballistic missile nuclear submarine commander in history.