Navy Fires Captain Of Carrier Stricken By Coronavirus Outbreak

businessinsider.com ^ | April 3, 2020

[Helicondelta]

The US Navy fired the commanding officer of the USS Theodore Roosevelt, an aircraft carrier stuck in port and dealing with a severe coronavirus outbreak, Navy leaders said Thursday afternoon.

"Today, at my direction, the commanding officer of the USS Theodore Roosevelt, Capt. Brett Crozier, was relieved of command," Acting Secretary of the Navy Thomas Modly told reporters at the Pentagon Thursday. "I did not come to this decision lightly."

Modly said he lost confidence in the commanding officer.

The Navy's decision to relieve Crozier came after he wrote a letter to Navy leadership begging the military branch to take decisive action to counter the spread of the virus on the carrier by getting sailors off the ship as soon as possible.

The letter was leaked to the San Francisco Chronicle, the captain's hometown newspaper, which published it on Tuesday.

[Travis McGee]

That depends on when he sent the 20+ CCs. If it was on his first try to get attention, he should be fired.

[eldoradude]

An act of war by China that is being aided and abetted by the democrats and also apparently the former CO of the Theodore Roosevelt.

[bert]

why do you think the president is stupid?

[Oscar in Batangas]

HollB, Thank you for asking! He was one of the crew who disembarked early because a couple people in his division (and berthing area) tested positive for CV. He spent a night or two on a cot in a big gymnasium on the base. His mother, as risk-averse as they come, is the one who has a bit more curl in her hair these days, tho. The Navy set up some diversion activities on the pier where the ship is tied up. I joked with him that even if they get passes to leave the pier, it is no great deal...It IS only Guam after all. A bunch of carrier sailors answering a port or starboard liberty all at once could indeed cause the island to capsize. ****

[HollyB]

Sent you a message

[Engedi]

He copied the letter to 20 other people besides chain of command.

[Tallguy]

“If he sent out 20-30 copies instead of one to his immediate superior...”

That would be seen as an attempt to stampede his superior into making a quick decision without proper consideration. Bosses don’t like subordinates that backdoor them that way. If anybody shotgunned an email at my place of work airing internal grievances like that, they’d be gone.

[Chainmail]

I seriously doubt that the Captain sent the copies out simultaneously it’s asking his chain of command for help - remember that it was known that he coronavirus patients aboard at least a week before he pulled the fire alarm.

During my military career, I “skylined” superiors at least twice to get the job done: once when I was second lieutenant when a corrupt squadron commander refused to hold his Marines responsible for criminal activities - he was relieved of his command and second time when I was acting G-4 for the First Marine Division in ‘93 when the Division wasn’t getting their mail in Somalia - and they’d been there for a month. Told the pentagon’s Head of Postal Affairs that his face was going to be on CNN if he didn’t get the system squared away by the next morning.

He did.

[Lazamataz]

Difference between your going outside the COC, and this captain’s.

His was extremely public and made the media.

The Navy HAD to make an example out of him.

[Wuli]

“Fired” is the wrong term, no matter who used/uses it.

The Navy officer relieved of duty is still a Navy officer; he’s just been reassigned, for now. He may yet be given a new command assignment. He may face a hearing or further review of some sort. He may face some further disciplinary action, and that action may result in a number of different possible changes in his status. But for now he is not “fired”.

[Midnitethecat]

He should walk the plank.

[Wuli]

Command structures like the military DEPEND ON the protocols of command to be followed religiously. In war they are what helps officers to know that orders given will be followed, they can depend on it. The military, in order to be always prepared for war, must act as if it is at war, all the time, when it comes to the command structure and the protocols of command. A Navy commander who obtains the command of an aircraft carrier has learned that already. One who has lost his command has forgotten it.

[Chainmail]

The navy has only two positions: pretend there isn’t a problem or fire whomever’s in charge. My experience tells me that the chain of command ignored him and then got embarrassed when the problem was made public.

[Chainmail]

Clearly, you have no idea what you’re talking about. You’re describing what some civilian thinks military forces are like.

I have 24 years as an officer including battalion command. An officer is responsible for succeeding in his assigned mission and preserving the lives of his troops, where possible.

When the chain of command is wrong, it is that officer’s responsibility to succeed in his mission (preserving his ship and keeping it combat ready) and saving his troops. From my perspective, he served his command well.

We look for leaders who can understand and execute their missions and are able to adapt immediately when the enemy contravenes your Operations Plan (as they always do) - not robots.

[GOPJ]

What? Are you saying, “I was just following orders” isn’t an excuse for unethical actions?

Gads, will we ever get over the Nuremberg trials. /s

[Swordmaker]

When the chain of command is wrong, it is that officer’s responsibility to succeed in his mission (preserving his ship and keeping it combat ready) and saving his troops. From my perspective, he served his command well.

We look for leaders who can understand and execute their missions and are able to adapt immediately when the enemy contravenes your Operations Plan (as they always do) - not robots.

You and I are in agreement. He found a solution.

[Chainmail]

To all my "experts" out there; the Captain notified his chain of command immediately when the first three cases of Covid-19 were discovered. Last Saturday, the Chief of Naval Operations released a public announcement that the USS Theodore Roosevelt's missions was "too important" to disrupt - meaning that the Captain's urgent request was overridden.

By Monday, it was obvious that this disease was spreading rapidly (likely through the ship's ventilation system) and something had to be done to preserve his nearly 7,000 crewmen. Anybody remember what happened to the Princess Cruise ship and its captive population?

The navy doesn't assign just anybody to command a Nimitz-Class nuclear carrier - this Captain was one of the best they had.

The navy's covering up, again.

[Svartalfiar]

The Navy is already implementing his recommendations from the memo. I’ve seen no evidence it was he who leaked the memo. There may be some other shenanigans going on.

Just or not, that's how the Navy works. You can do nothing wrong, but if the higher folks lose confidence in your ability to command, for any reason whatsoever, you are pulled from your ship, and that's it.

[Chainmail]

Indeed he did. He knew that his career was toast but he saved as many of his crew as he could - and his crew knows what he did.

Proud of him.

[Svartalfiar]

Can't believe the idiotic responses so far on this thread - the Captain's responsibility was to the safety of his ship and the lives of his crew. When the higher-ups in the Navy wouldn't take action, he "skylined" them in the press - knowing full well the effect it would have on his career but saving his crew.

The Captain's foremost duty is to maintain the readiness of his ship. The Navy is/was already dealing with the virus issues, and there's absolutely no reason for this kind of information to be publicized. Doesn't matter if he leaked it or not (though it looks like he did), his name is on the letter. If the Navy can't trust him 100% to keep his ship ready, then they aren't gonna leave him in charge of that ship. Especially when it's a carrier, and not a tugboat.