Shipyard master chief is out after alleged DUI

The senior enlisted member of the Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility has been relieved of duty on suspicion of driving under the influence and running into a fence on base, the Navy said.

Command Master Chief Jeff VanBlaracum was relieved Saturday following his arrest by Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam police, according to the Navy. The incident occurred late Friday or early Saturday.

At the time of the arrest, VanBlaracum was turning over his role as command master chief, and that change was accelerated, the Navy said.

“The process is going to continue as far as Master Chief VanBlaracum goes, but for the sake of just good leadership continuity, so there’s no disruption at the command, this helps just make the transition,” said shipyard spokesman Sean Hughes.

Hughes said he did not have information about VanBlaracum’s blood-alcohol level.

James Schneider became the shipyard’s command master chief early Saturday morning, the Navy said.

VanBlaracum assumed his duties as shipyard command master chief in April 2012. He has been temporarily assigned to another office at the shipyard pending adjudication of the case.

He was the second Navy enlisted leader to be relieved in the last four months.

The Pacific Fleet’s ranking master chief was relieved of his duties in April after an investigation found that he “had not performed up to the high standards of his office,” the Navy said at the time.

Fleet Master Chief Marco A. Ramirez lost his job amid allegations that he violated travel rules, Navy Times reported. The publication said an investigation concluded Ramirez manipulated the Defense Travel System.