Aircraft Carrier Captain Fired For ‘Poor Judgement’ In Sending Coronavirus Letter

4/2/20
The commander of USS Theodore Roosevelt, who sounded the alarm about a COVID-19 outbreak aboard his aircraft carrier, has been relieved of command by the acting Navy secretary. Capt. Brett Crozier “demonstrated extremely poor judgement in the midst of a crisis” by sending a four-page request for urgent help to people outside his chain of command, Thomas Modly told reporters Thursday afternoon. Modly said Crozier could have “walked down the hall” to his immediate boss, the admiral in charge of the carrier’s strike group, or expressed his concerns in one of his conversations with Modly’s chief of staff. Instead, Crozier sent his March 30 letter over unsecure email to multiple Navy leaders in and outside his chain of command, and it made its way to the San Francisco Chronicle, which published it on Tuesday. Modly denied that the letter and its intense media coverage spurred the Navy into quicker action. And he denied that Crozier’s firing was “retribution,” praising the captain for looking out for his crew and sounding alarms. “It was the way in which he did it,” said Modly. Adm. Mike Gilday, chief of naval operations, said he agreed with the decision.

That’s ridiculous,” said David Lapan, retired Marine Corps colonel who served as the top spokesman for the Pentagon, Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the Marine Corps. “It’s more believable that the letter would cause the families to be upset that the Navy wasn’t taking the right steps to protect their loved ones.” The decision to relieve Crozier of command drew quick criticism, including from one member of Congress. Said Lapan, “There are so many flaws in how the Navy is explaining this that it’s causing people to question what the real reasons are.” Of Modly’s suggestion that Crozier should have contacted him directly, Lapan said it directly contradicts the secretary’s reasoning for the firing. “You’re the acting secretary of the navy. You’re going to suggest an O-6 ship captain coming directly to you is not going outside the chain of command? Everyone above that O-6 would have been furious,” said Lapan. “What signal does this send to the fleet?” he said. “Relieving that commander under these conditions makes it appear to be retaliation. It makes it appear the Navy is more interesting in not being embarrassed rather than taking care of sailors.” Especially, he said, when one day earlier Modly was calling for commanders to be honest about what they need. “It makes it appear that you really don’t want them to be honest.”

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Rogue Valley said:

Aircraft Carrier Captain Fired For ‘Poor Judgement’ In Sending Coronavirus Letter

Acting Secretary Modly’s Thursday decision to sack the skipper of Theodore Roosevelt was quickly criticized as retaliation for embarrassing Navy leaders.

US Navy Captain Brett Crozier.



Although the DoD brass has justified the removal of Captain Crozier, it does has the odor of retaliation about it. Like the removal of Lt. Col. Vindman from the NSC.

I asked in this very forum over two weeks ago what would the Navy do if a CVN harbored coronavirus? Seems the Navy solution was to simply hush it up.

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by sending a four-page request for urgent help to people outside his chain of command

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Instead, Crozier sent his March 30 letter over unsecure email to multiple Navy leaders in and outside his chain of command, and it made its way to the San Francisco Chronicle, which published it on Tuesday.

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Rogue Valley said:

Navy Capt. Crozier, fired for letter about coronavirus on USS Roosevelt, gets big send-off from sailors

His sailors all know what the real deal is. Kudos.

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Oozlefinch said:

I read one line in here and that made me agree with his being fired.



There is absolutely no reason for him to have jumped outside of his chain of command. Period. Not unless he was getting absolutely no response in following the proper channels.

And especially things dealing with military readiness over unsecure lines.

Period.

This is not "retaliation", that was an incredibly stupid decision, and should have him fired.



"It made it's way", sounds like he was panicking, and released it himself when he did not like the answers he got. Running around like this during an event is the kind of thing the military does not need, they are worrying about a ton of things, and sounds like he can not handle the job to me.

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Robertinfremont said:

That sounded to me like maybe a dozen sailors were sending him off.

The problem with the Captain is he had to act like a Captain and not like a Trump hater.

Any of us who have boarded one of those giant AirCraft carriers realizes you do not suddenly dump your crew to leave the ship stranded with no crew.

And look what the navy is doing. Removing the sailors.

2 days ago

Military will begin evacuating aircraft carrier hit by coronavirus: report

The military will begin moving most of crew aboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt hit with a coronavirus outbreak to hotels on Guam where the aircraft carrier has been docked since last week, according to a report.

At least 70 members of the 5,000 crew have tested positive for the virus, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday.

“The plan is to remove as many people off the Teddy Roosevelt as we can, understanding that we have to leave a certain amount of folks on board to do normal watchstanding duties, to keep the ship running,” Rear Admiral John Menoni, Navy commander for the Marianas joint region, said at a brieifing attended by the governor of Guam.

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Rogue Valley said:

The Navy brass wasn't doing a thing until the letter leaked. Both SecDef Esper and "Acting" Navy Secretary Thomas Modly totally ignored the Captain's plea.

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Robertinfremont said:

That sounded to me like maybe a dozen sailors were sending him off.

The problem with the Captain is he had to act like a Captain and not like a Trump hater.

Any of us who have boarded one of those giant AirCraft carriers realizes you do not suddenly dump your crew to leave the ship stranded with no crew.

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WASHINGTON – Videos posted on social media showed a huge send-off for Navy Capt. Brett Crozier, the commander of an aircraft carrier who was ousted Thursday after sending a letter pleading with Navy leadership to protect his crew from the spreading coronavirus.

One video from the Facebook account of Michael Washington shows hundreds of service members on the hangar deck of the USS Theodore Roosevelt, which is currently docked in Guam, chanting "Captain Crozier! Captain Crozier!" and clapping.

Someone in the video says, "and that's how you send off one of the greatest captains you've ever had," and adding "The GOAT [Greatest Of All Time], the man for the people."

Coronavirus: Capt. Brett Crozier gets send-off from USS Roosevelt

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APRIL 1, 2020

“We don’t disagree with the C.O. on that ship,” Modly said.

Later Tuesday, Mark Esper, the secretary of Defense, and Adm. J.C. Aquilino, the Pacific Fleet commander, contradicted Modly.

Esper told CBS Evening News that “I don’t think we are at that point yet,” when asked about moving sailors off of the ship.

It is unclear if there are other ships similarly affected by the coronavirus. The Navy recently stopped reporting the number of COVID-19 cases on its ships. The Pentagon said Monday it would not release to the public specific numbers of COVID cases on its bases or by geographic regions. Instead, the military services and the Defense department are announcing total numbers of cases worldwide.

Other ships — still in port in San Diego — have recalled their entire crews, who will remain on board at least 14 days.

Coronavirus spreads on Navy ship Theodore Roosevelt: captain - Los Angeles Times

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Rogue Valley said:

Aircraft Carrier Captain Fired For ‘Poor Judgement’ In Sending Coronavirus Letter

Acting Secretary Modly’s Thursday decision to sack the skipper of Theodore Roosevelt was quickly criticized as retaliation for embarrassing Navy leaders.

US Navy Captain Brett Crozier.



Although the DoD brass has justified the removal of Captain Crozier, it does has the odor of retaliation about it. Like the removal of Lt. Col. Vindman from the NSC.

I asked in this very forum over two weeks ago what would the Navy do if a CVN harbored coronavirus? Seems the Navy solution was to simply hush it up.

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Tangmo said:

There's a lot of noisy cheering and applauding going on by a swarm of TR sailors in their civvies onboard the Big Stick as Capt. Crozier departs with a proper reserve and modestly.

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4/3/20
“He made the right choice, and the Navy will back him up.” So wrote retired Adm. James Stavridis, a former carrier strike group commander and former supreme allied commander of NATO, about Capt. Brett Crozier, the skipper who had sent out an SOS about the spread of the coronavirus on his ship, the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt. The military could have done more to help but, like other government agencies, it was slow to act. Defense Secretary Mark Esper has come under fire for failing to cancel business as usual even as the virus spreads through the ranks. But the only official in the entire government who has been publicly disciplined to date for mishandling the coronavirus is a Navy officer who acted to save his crew from an outbreak. This makes no sense save in the upside-down moral universe inhabited by the Trump administration. Crozier sent an urgent letter to his chain of command on Monday, making clear that 90 percent of his crew needed to be evacuated immediately. Already more than 100 sailors out of a crew of nearly 5,000 have been diagnosed with covid-19 — and the disease was sure to spread fast in the close confines of the ship. “We are not at war,” Crozier wrote. “Sailors do not need to die. If we do not act now, we are failing to properly take care of our most trusted asset — our sailors.”

I understand the need not to widely publicize problems that hurt the Navy’s operational readiness, but the context is troubling. About a month ago, when Trump was still calling concern about the coronavirus a “hoax,” the New York Times reported that Esper had “urged American military commanders overseas not to make any decisions related to the coronavirus that might surprise the White House or run afoul of President Trump’s messaging on the growing health challenge.” This was a dismaying directive that seemed to put politics above force protection. Now Crozier’s firing will be seen, rightly or wrongly, as another step in the politicization of the military. The damage that was done to the military by Trump’s decision to pardon suspected war criminals will be compounded by Thursday’s decision to fire the skipper of the Theodore Roosevelt. The message that the administration is sending to the armed forces is that committing war crimes is acceptable but telling the truth and protecting the personnel under your command is not. At least Crozier can take solace in the cheers and applause of his crew as he left the Theodore Roosevelt.

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AlphaOmega said:

Thats false. You don't tell your enemies one of carriers is being ravaged by virus. It puts national security in jeopardy. The guy should have absolutely handled this through the proper chain of command. Otherwise what is it there for? My first thought when I heard this story was how odd that the general public is being informed that one of our warships is at risk.

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By Tweed Roosevelt
4/3/20
I suppose it is too much to hope that the Navy, if only for its own benefit, will see its way to reverse this unfortunate decision. But it is probably too late to save Captain Crozier’s career. As a descendant of the namesake of Captain Crozier’s former command, I often wonder, in situations like this, what Theodore Roosevelt would have done. In this case, though, I know exactly what he would have done. In 1898, he found himself in almost the exact same position. Before his rise to national politics, Roosevelt commanded the Rough Riders, a volunteer cavalry regiment, in the invasion of Cuba during the Spanish-American War. The Battle of San Juan Hill had been fought and won, and the war was basically over. However, the soldiers, still deployed in Cuba, faced a far worse enemy: yellow fever and malaria. As was usual in the days before modern medicine, far more soldiers died of disease than of enemy action. The battlefield commanders, including Roosevelt, wanted to bring the soldiers home. But the leadership in Washington — in particular Russell Alger, the secretary of war — refused, fearing a political backlash. A standoff ensued.

The career Army officers, who did not want to risk their jobs by being too outspoken, were stymied. Roosevelt, as a short-term volunteer, had less to lose. So, with the tacit approval of his fellow commanders, he wrote a fiery open letter and released it to the press. The letter, known as the “round robin,” was printed in virtually every newspaper in the country, creating an uproar demanding that the soldiers be brought home immediately. Alger relented, and the troops were sent to quarantine on the end of Long Island, at Montauk Point. Though hundreds of men died of disease in Cuba, Roosevelt’s actions probably saved countless more. He did, however, pay a price. Alger was furious with him. When Roosevelt’s nomination came up for a Medal of Honor, the secretary shot it down (Roosevelt eventually received the medal, posthumously, in 2001). Of course, Roosevelt came out the winner. Who today remembers Russell Alger? In this era when so many seem to place expediency over honor, it is heartening that so many others are showing great courage, some even risking their lives. Theodore Roosevelt, in his time, chose the honorable course. Captain Crozier has done the same.

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Rogue Valley said:

Aircraft Carrier Captain Fired For ‘Poor Judgement’ In Sending Coronavirus Letter

Acting Secretary Modly’s Thursday decision to sack the skipper of Theodore Roosevelt was quickly criticized as retaliation for embarrassing Navy leaders.

US Navy Captain Brett Crozier.



Although the DoD brass has justified the removal of Captain Crozier, it does has the odor of retaliation about it. Like the removal of Lt. Col. Vindman from the NSC.

I asked in this very forum over two weeks ago what would the Navy do if a CVN harbored coronavirus? Seems the Navy solution was to simply hush it up.

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chuckiechan said:

When you bypass your chain of command announce to the world that one of America’s battle fleets in the Pacific is no longer mission capable, you are inviting our enemies to possibly make a serious miscalculation that could lead to a shooting war.

Dumb ****.

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Oozlefinch said:

I read one line in here and that made me agree with his being fired.

There is absolutely no reason for him to have jumped outside of his chain of command. Period. Not unless he was getting absolutely no response in following the proper channels.

And especially things dealing with military readiness over unsecure lines.

Period.

This is not "retaliation", that was an incredibly stupid decision, and should have him fired.

"It made it's way", sounds like he was panicking, and released it himself when he did not like the answers he got. Running around like this during an event is the kind of thing the military does not need, they are worrying about a ton of things, and sounds like he can not handle the job to me.

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chuckiechan said:

When you bypass your chain of command announce to the world that one of America’s battle fleets in the Pacific is no longer mission capable, you are inviting our enemies to possibly make a serious miscalculation that could lead to a shooting war.

Dumb ****.

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maxparrish said:

If Crozier decided his military career was less important to him than "chain of command" obstruction killing any of his crew - then I am not going to judge him...I will commend him, if not for his wisdom but at least for his moral intentions.

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4/3/20
Acting U.S. Navy Secretary Thomas Modly’s dismissal of a beloved captain who raised concerns about the health of sailors aboard the aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt sparked swift and sudden outrage from lawmakers and former service members who saw the move as retribution. But within the Navy, the move left sailors, Marines, and former senior leaders more confused than angry. The timeline leading up to the abrupt relief of Capt. Brett Crozier raíses more questions that it answers about why Crozier felt compelled to go outside of his chain of command to raise alarm bells about the situation on board the Roosevelt, these people said — and why, less than a day after claiming that it wasn’t going to “shoot the messenger,” the Navy fired him. “Why wasn’t there an investigation done before the captain was relieved? Because clearly somebody in his position — a carrier CO who was headed upward with a bullet — why would he do this if he hadn’t been stymied somewhere in the chain of command?” said one former senior Navy official, who like other current and former officials said Crozier would have been acutely aware that his actions would cost him his career. At first, the Navy signaled that it wasn’t going to penalize Crozier. “We’re not looking to shoot the messenger here,” Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Michael Gilday said on Wednesday.

“Something else is going on, and lots of folks are questioning the statement by SECNAV in the press brief, ‘help was on the way,’” said one defense official. “If that were true, and had been communicated to this very senior Navy captain, I cannot imagine that he would draft, much less forward, such a memo. “ The House Armed Services Committee will almost certainly hold a hearing on the matter when Congress is able to return to Washington. “I want to know how many times there was outreach from Commander Crozier to PACOM or the SecNav. I want to know what was the communication between the SecNav and the SecDef and if there was any communication from the WH to the SecDef,” Rep. Ruben Gallego said. “Right now, what they are saying out there to every commander is ‘don’t complain too much and if you embarrass us, we’re going to fire you’,” Gallego said. In part, what makes Crozier’s termination extraordinary is the speed with which it happened compared to other high-profile Navy firings. The commanding officer of the USS Fitzgerald wasn’t removed for 24 days after a 2017 collision that drowned seven sailors. It took 41 days for the CO of the USS John McCain to be relieved after a similar incident that killed ten sailors. “It doesn’t add up to me. It took these guys…months to fire the captain of the USS McCain after seven or eight men died,” Gallego said. “Their actions were so sudden, it’s mind-boggling, to be honest.”

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Tangmo said:

The alternative is herd immunity so if you want herd immunity say so. Then you can have the world of herd immunity **** come down on you for its consequences which are far worse than the partial evacuation of the ship that was forced instead by Capt. Crozier. Herd immunity guarantees a mass disability and debilitation of the entire crew and chain of command while the ship is anyway tied up pierside.

Come out and say so.

Herd immunity -- it's the stuff of Captain Bligh.

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Oozlefinch said:

I read one line in here and that made me agree with his being fired.



There is absolutely no reason for him to have jumped outside of his chain of command. Period. Not unless he was getting absolutely no response in following the proper channels.

And especially things dealing with military readiness over unsecure lines.

Period.

This is not "retaliation", that was an incredibly stupid decision, and should have him fired.




"It made it's way", sounds like he was panicking, and released it himself when he did not like the answers he got. Running around like this during an event is the kind of thing the military does not need, they are worrying about a ton of things, and sounds like he can not handle the job to me.

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chuckiechan said:

IMO, the “original sin” was the port call to Vietnam. Who makes that decision?

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