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By Ellie Cook
Senior Defense Reporter
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The U.S. Navy has removed the head of one of its overseas infectious disease research units, the latest in a series of commanding officers to be removed since the start of the year.
The Navy said in a statement that Captain Abigail Yablonsky Marter had been relieved as the commanding officer of the U.S. military's Naval Medical Research Unit (NAMRU) South after a "loss of confidence in her ability to command."
The U.S. Navy frequently uses this phrase to announce changes to military leadership, without offering further explanation.
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Commander Jessica McNulty, public affairs officer for the U.S. Navy Bureau of Medicine and Surgery, told Newsweek in a statement that Marter was relieved "after an investigation."
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"The Navy holds commanding officers to the highest standards of leadership, performance, and operational effectiveness," McNulty said. "When these leaders fall short of these high standards, the Navy holds them accountable. As a matter of policy, the Navy does not comment or speculate on any future or pending administrative or disciplinary actions."
Captain Marter had served as the commander of NAMRU South since July 2023, and will be "temporarily reassigned to Naval Medical Research Command."
Commander Michael Prouty, who was previously the executive officer of NAMRU-6, will step in as interim commander, the U.S. Navy said. NAMRU South, based in the Peruvian capital, Lima, was previously known as NAMRU-6.
The unit's research focuses on diseases like malaria and dengue fever, as well as other conditions such as sexually transmitted infections.
NAMRU South has a "long-standing agreement with the Peruvian Navy," the U.S. Navy said, with ties stretching back to the mid-1980s.
It is designed to ensure "the readiness and health of U.S. service members and Peruvian national partners through health sciences research, infectious disease monitoring, medical approaches to decrease risk of infectious diseases, and health engagement," the U.S. Navy has said.
On March 20, the U.S. Navy said Captain Richard Zaszewski was removed as commodore of the Naval Special Warfare Group Eight, which deals with new maritime threats, citing a "loss of confidence in his ability to command."
Zaszewski was arrested for driving while intoxicated and charged with misdemeanor DWI, Navy News reported last month, adding he was relieved after reporting the incident, citing an anonymous defense official.
The Navy had announced on March 13 that it had fired Captain Kurt Balagna, the former commander of one of the crews aboard the USS Ohio, a guided-missile submarine.
It was later reported that Balagna was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence (DUI) in early March. Lieutenant Corey T. Jones, a spokesperson for the U.S. Navy's Submarine Group 9, told the Washington state-based Kitsap Sun that Balagna was stripped of his command because of the arrest.
In early February, the Navy replaced then-USS Howard commander, Cameron Dennis, "due to a loss of confidence in his ability to perform his duties." The USS Howard is an Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer. Navy Times reported in February that Dennis was removed after an investigation into "unprofessional comments" in the workplace, citing an anonymous defense official.
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