Updated 4/13/2020
In an article – More than 100 additional U.S. sailors aboard a coronavirus-stricken aircraft carrier stuck in Guam have tested positive for the virus, the Navy said. The sailor, who tested positive for COVID-19 last month, was reportedly found unresponsive while in isolation. Then Sailor From USS Theodore Roosevelt Dies From Covid-19
In an article “The Pacific commander, Admiral Davidson, ordered that ship into Vietnam for a port visit in a peacetime environment, knowing full well and having the intelligence, capacity, and capability resident in his command to know the jeopardy that he was putting that ship in,” he stated.
In an article – Acting Navy Secretary Thomas Modly appeared to worsen the situation when he gave a surprise speech to sailors on the USS Theodore Roosevelt and called ousted Captain Brett Cozier “too naïve or too stupid” to be a commanding officer of a ship like this, Reuters reported.
In an article – Acting Navy Secretary Thomas Modly resigned on Tuesday, a day after leaked audio revealed he called the ousted commander of the USS Theodore Roosevelt “stupid”in an address to the ship’s crew. Modly’s resignation comes a little more than a week after Capt. Brett Crozier, the then-commanding officer of the USS Theodore Roosevelt, sent a memo warning of coronavirus. In his resignation letter, Modly did not mention the controversy but later apologized to the whole of the Navy for the incident in a memo. “More than anything, I owe every member of the Navy and Marine Corps team a lifetime of gratitude for the opportunity to serve for them, and with them, once again. They are the reason why I will forever remain inspired by the call of service. They are the ones who lift our nation, heal our divides, and make this country the greatest in the history of the world,” Modly wrote in his resignation letter.
In an article – The captain relieved of command of the USS Theodore Roosevelt after warning of an outbreak of the coronavirus on his ship has tested positive for the virus, a U.S. defense official told Fox News on Sunday.
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In an article I found March 31, 2020 the captain of a nuclear aircraft carrier, Capt. Brett Crozier, with more than 100 sailors infected with the coronavirus pleaded Monday with U.S. Navy officials for resources to allow isolation of his entire crew and avoid possible deaths in a situation he described as quickly deteriorating.
In the four-page letter to senior military officials, Crozier said only a small contingent of infected sailors have been off-boarded. Most of the crew remain aboard the ship, where following official guidelines for 14-day quarantines and social distancing is impossible.
Please read the entire article for the details. This is an example of someone realizing the responsibility that he has and doing what is necessary. The results may not be good but I agree that the outcome of saving lives instead of unnecessarily losing them is the less bad.
I salute Capt. Brett Crozier for his bravery and concern for his command. When resources are needed you get them!
I found the fallout article on April 2, 2020 The Navy announced it has relieved the captain who sounded the alarm about an outbreak of COVID-19 aboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt. I do not believe that the crew has lost trust and confidence in this captain. If he will do this in peacetime he will do what it takes in wartime!
Teddy Roosevelt’s great-grandson weighs in on dismissal of Navy captain: ‘Crozier is a hero’
Captain Brett Crozier: Standing Tall For His Sailors. Such send offs are not typical for officers who have been fired. The problem may continue. Admiral James Stravridis, a former commander of NATO, wrote in email to the San Francisco Chronicle, “we should expect more such incidents because warships are a perfect breeding ground for coronavirus.”
“What’s more, we are very concerned about the chilling effect this dismissal will have on commanders throughout the Department of Defense,” “Dismissing a commanding officer for speaking out on issues critical to the safety of those under their command, discourages others from raising similar concerns.” One does not rise to the rank of the captain of a carrier without playing by the rules. Crozier is an accomplished pilot and a naval officer. Crozier put those under his command first, and his commanders second. That is a choice that civilians would embrace. The first duty of a commander is to put the needs of troops first. He or she must, at times, put them into harm’s way; that is the nature of the military. At the same time, putting them in harm’s way when not at war seems unwise. Modly’s sacking of Crozier echoes the firing of his predecessor.
Updated 5/9/20. USS Theodore Roosevelt Outbreak Is Linked to Flight Crews, Not Vietnam Visit . Bottom Line. As the Navy investigates the outbreak of the coronavirus, officials say they may never learn its true origins. “We just don’t know,” one official said.
