After the ship struck a private fishing vessel and killed two civilians, Milne was court-martialed and stripped of three grades which determined his eligibility for promotion.

While there, he joined a panel of three other officers in researching the scholarship of student athletes at the Academy over a period of thirty years.

The panel found that these athletes were likely to stay in the United States Navy for long periods of time, and were often career minded.

[6] In 1932, Milne was one of few American military officers chosen to travel to Italy to inspect a number of war veterans alongside Italian dictator Benito Mussolini.

[7] Milne then commanded the USS Arizona when, in 1934, the battleship collided with the private fishing vessel Umatilla off the coast of Neah Bay, Washington, on July 26, 1934.

[1] Officials stated that the real punishment came from the "black mark" the court martial left upon Milne's record.