Commander Retires with Award After Red Hill Disaster -- and Mistakenly Telling Residents to Drink the Tainted Water

TL;DR - The Navy commanding officer who led Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam through the second-worst known case of water contamination in military history retired last month, earning the Defense Department's second-highest non-combat service award in the process.

More than seven months after the disastrous and preventable spill that displaced thousands of base residents -- and as the Navy has yet to announce who, if anyone, will be held accountable -- Capt. Erik Spitzer was awarded the Legion of Merit for his work at the base over the past two years.

July 8, 2022: Commander Retires with Award After Red Hill Disaster -- and Mistakenly Telling Residents to Drink the Tainted Water, Military.com