Canadian navy officer charged with drunkenness, disobeying orders

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The former second-in-command of a Canadian naval frigate has been charged with drunkenness for conduct in June, 2014 – an alleged offence the navy says was one of the factors behind a recent decision to ban drinking for sailors at sea.

The incident took place in Pearl Harbour, Hawaii, just days before another case of bad behaviour by Royal Canadian Navy sailors that led to coastal defence vessel HMCS Whitehorse being sent home in disgrace.

Commander Joshua Yanchus, former executive officer of HMCS Calgary, is facing one count of disobedience of lawful command and one count of drunkenness under the National Defence Act. He will be tried under military law and a court date has yet to be set.

Cdr. Yanchus – who is part of the regular force, not a reservist – was second-in-command of HMCS Calgary when the alleged offence incurred. He has since been promoted to the rank of commander and is based at Canadian Forces Base Esquimalt on the West Coast.

Both HMCS Calgary and HMCS Whitehorse were scheduled to attend the U.S. RIMPAC naval exercise taking place in Pacific waters over a few weeks in June and July last year.

Cdr. Hubert Genest said the alleged offence was weighing on Admiral Mark Norman last December when he accepted a report that recommended banning the serving of alcohol at sea.

"This was in the background of the Whitehorse incidents, and was certainly another factor when the admiral was referring to 'other cases' leading him make the decision to change our alcohol policy," Cdr. Genest said.

Of three alleged incidents in the HMCS Whitehorse case, one Canadian sailor was arrested by San Diego police but later released due to a lack of evidence, the navy said. A source told The Globe and Mail in July that the arrested sailor was suspected of shoplifting.

In a second incident, a sailor was allegedly intoxicated, spending the night in a drunk tank. In a third case, a soldier was investigated by military police for alleged sexual assault.

These incidents are at various stages of being dealt with through the military justice system, including a planned court martial of the sailor accused of sexual assault.

Other cases of misconduct weighing on the navy included allegations of drunken sailors in Key West, Fla., in 2012.