The commander of Naval Special Warfare Group 8, Capt. Richard Zaszewski was fired by Rear Adml. Keith Davids, commander of Naval Special Warfare Command on Wednesday. 

The official reason was a loss of confidence in his ability to command. The Navy typically uses this boilerplate language when releasing a commander without providing a specific reason.

“Navy leaders are held to high standards of personal and professional conduct. They are expected to uphold the highest standards of responsibility, reliability, and leadership, and the Navy holds them accountable when they fall short of those standards,” according to a statement released by the Navy.

Zaszewski is a highly decorated SEAL officer, entering the service in May 1997. He was awarded a silver star and three bronze stars, including one with a V for valor during combat.

He took over at Special Warfare Group 8 in August 2022, a year after the unit was created by combining two other groups - Group 3 and Group 10. 

Group 8 oversees intelligence, training and reconnaissance for the SEAL Teams. They also handle special craft, including a submarine which is designed to carry small groups of special operators on clandestine missions.  

Deputy commodore Capt. Stig Sanness has assumed Zaszewski’s duties as commodore of Groups 8, which is based at Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek, with detachments in Coronado, Cal. and Hawaii.

There is no impact to Group 8's mission readiness, according to a statement released by the Navy.

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