Posted on 04/06/2020 10:49:56 AM PDT by billorites
Acting Navy Secretary Thomas Modly addressed the crew of the USS Theodore Roosevelt on Monday to defend his decision to fire the aircraft carrier’s commander, Capt. Brett Crozier, who wrote a memo last week demanding more urgent action to address an outbreak of coronavirus.
According to a recording of the address and descriptions by relatives of crew members and by U.S. officials, Mr. Modly delivered the remarks to the crew of the ship, which is now docked in Guam as crew members undergo a quarantine because of the Covid-19 outbreak. More than 150 of the approximately 5,000 members of the crew have tested positive.
The remarks, over the vessel’s public address system, were tinged with profanity, according to the recording and the descriptions of the remarks, with Mr. Modly saying that sailors were expected to “keep their shit together and take care of each other.” At another point, Mr. Modly, addressing fears over the virus, said: “If the ship was in combat and there were hypersonic missiles coming at it, you’d be pretty f------ scared too.”
Many crew members on the Roosevelt were critical of the Navy’s decision to fire Capt. Crozier, who drew cheers and applause from sailors as he walked off the ship’s gangplank last week for the last time. President Trump has backed the decision to fire the commander.
But Mr. Modly, referring to Capt. Crozier in his remarks Monday, said: “If he didn’t think, in my opinion, that this information wasn’t going to get out into the public, in this information age we live in, then he was either too naive or too stupid to be a commanding officer of a ship like this.”
“The alternative is he did this on purpose, which is a serious violation” of military law, he said.
(Excerpt) Read more at wsj.com ...
Modly's statement of April 2, 2020
The CO told my Chief of Staff that he was receiving those resources, and was fully aware of the Navy’s response, only asking that the he wished the crew could be evacuated faster. My Chief of Staff ensured that the CO knew that he had an open line to me to use at any time.
And how would they have handled that invitation to short circuit the chain of command, had Capt. Crozier availed himself of it? The issue here largely appears to be public embarrassment rather than chain of command.
https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/Exclusive-Captain-of-aircraft-carrier-with-15167883.php
At the time, Modly expressed confidence that they identified all the sailors who had been in contact with the trio of infected sailors and they had been quarantined. ...
That was pure public relations bullcrap. Did the trio eat? The mess deck would have been contaminated. Everybody used the mess deck. How did they isolate sailors infected with an airborne illness aboard a ventilated ship? Why did the infection multiply by 50x in a few days? Modly's initial statement was not credible. Obviously, it was afactual. Also, there is no chance whatsoever that Captain Crozier made a port call in Vietnam without RADM Baker and higher ups approving it.
Modly tried to sweep an uncontrollable airborne contamination under the rug.
Crozier's letter, sent as an email, or attachment to an email, appears to be part of what was an official naval letter, or draft of such, with the heading removed, and the prefacing BLUF paragraph (Bottom Line Up Front) added before numbered paragraph 1. I suspect that it was previously an official letter From: Commanding Officer, USS Theodore Roosevelt; To: someone senior to RADM Baker; Via: Commander, Carrier Strike Group 9 (RADM Baker). Such a letter would go from Captain Crozier to RADM Baker for his Endorsement, to be forwarded up the chain of command. If this is what happened, the letter appears to have stopped at RADM Baker, and when the Navy proclaims that RADM Baker had not previously seen the letter, they misleadingly refer to the email version only.
The ship was in port dockside at Guam since March 27. This incident happpened in port, not at sea. Reportedly, more than a thousand sailors went off the ship, but there was a problem finding lodging for the rest. The ship's crew amounts to about 3,200. The attached air wing amounts to about 2,500. The Admiral's staff might number about a few hundred. The Navy announced a goal to get 2,700 sailors off the ship by Friday, but it is Monday and they are behind schedule. Arithmetic suggest who was getting off.
Press releases about sailors being moved off the ship may not have included sailors of the ship's crew, other than those tested as positive. The rest may have been embarked admiral's staff and aviation personnel. If that is what happened, the cheering crew, who gave Captain Crozier a hero's sendoff, would have known who had left and who had been left behind.
There is a very real possibility that Captain Crozier addressed an official letter up the chain of command, and had it blocked, before he went around RADM Baker, he who is almost a non-person in this event. I have not seen a word from the senior officer who was aboard the ship.
A measure of how serious the contamination was may be seen by how long it takes the Navy to get that carrier back out to sea. It has been docked since March 27.
Only because he was never found. Some of his helpers were— and hung from the yardarms. To encourage others in His Majesty’s Navy.
And that is the say it is and the way it should always be. Thank you.
Wasn’t it great?
Loved what he did when she tried to talk over him. Not having it.
He was so prepared. Wonderful to watch.
On March 5, 2020— the USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71) Nuclear powered aircraft carrier and the USS Bunker Hill (CG-52) gas turbine powered guided missile cruiser, made an official port call at Da Nang Port, Vietnam. This was a diplomatic port visit commemorating 25 years of U.S. -Vietnam diplomatic relations.
The United States delegation was led by Adm. John C. Aquilino, Commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet, U.S. Ambassador to Vietnam Daniel Kritenbrink, Rear Adm. Stu Baker, commander, Carrier Strike Group (CSG) 9, U.S. Consul General in Ho Chi Minh City Marie Damour, and other officials from CSG 9 and the U.S. Mission in Vietnam. Incidentally, the Communist Chinese are not happy about this— just as they are not happy about N.Korea. Vietnam’s ancient enemy is China, even as Vietnam is a communist state. China lost the proxy war to Soviet Russia over Vietnam— and the Soviets disintegrated. Note that the port call was NOT in Haiphong nor in Saigon (Ho chi Minh City)— lotta politics on that.
The “other officials from CSG 9” would have included the Chief of Staff to RADM Baker: CAPT Chris J. Budde (formerly CO of the USS Gary and the USS Port Royal) possibly Command Master Chief of Strike Group 9- CMC Pedro Santos, and the CO of the Roosevelt, Captain Brett Crozier and possibly the Air Wing Commander CSG 9.
The Chain of Command there was COMPACFLT, to Commander CSG 9, to CO of the USS Roosevelt. All at Da Nang port. How many allowed ashore of the crew? Cannot know. ANd how many from the Bunker Hill. Were the Chi-coms there in any capacity. The Ambassador would know, or the spooks.
“If the Navy Secretary is so concerned about the chain of command, why isn’t he letting uniformed officers over Captain Crozier handle this? He’s a jerk not worthy of his position, either too naive or stupid to be there at the Pentagon.”
He did address this through the chain of command, but obviously decided to let everyone know it was his decision and why he did it.
From the SECNAV statement of 4/2:
“Once I read the letter, I immediately called the Chief of Naval Operations, ADM Gilday, and the Commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet, ADM Aquilino. ADM Gilday had just read the letter that morning as well, and ADM Aquilino had it the day before. We had a teleconference within minutes of my reading of that article, including the Commander, SEVENTH Fleet, VADM William Merz, ADM Aquilino, ADM Gilday, the Department of the Navy’s Surgeon General, RADM Bruce Gillingham, and others. That evening, we held another teleconference with the entire chain of command.”
A very civilian and poorly understood analysis of the story. You might want to look at something other than San Fran Nantzi’s pals at the Chronicle. Like Navy Regs, UCMJ and the USNI Proceedings.
“The CO told my chief of Staff”— that would be the Chief of Naval Operations, 4 Star ADM Gilday of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Chief of Staff of the US Navy, who spoke directly to the CO of CVN 71. Hardly a short circuit. Baker to COMPACFLT ADM Aquilino to the CNO, who talked with all 3 before talking directly with Crozier. Public has Zip to do with it— until after the fact— this CO or somebody working for or on their own, concocted this silly letter. Might want to look at former SecNav Spencer, fired by Trump—eager screw up flyboy, who tried to defy a Navy Enquiry Board to override a US President in re a Navy SEAL CWO warfighter’s rank restoration and pension-and his flyboy pal Crozier. Spencer’s holdover staff could easily have screwed with Modly and the CNO for that matter, who couldn’t stand Spencer.
The CNO has the NIS report as of Monday— everything including emails and the leakers who would aid the chicom enemy for personal gain. Bout to get very real for them, in a Brig. Spencer was pals with another USNA flyboy—John McStain, remember? and both democrats in reality.
Very silly to try to parse the chain of command reality from the idiotic poofters at the Chronicle. The, “do ask an doooo tell” eaves droppers.
A very civilian and poorly understood analysis of the story.
I appear to have experienced several decades more Navy active duty than you, including carrier time.
“The CO told my chief of Staff”— that would be the Chief of Naval Operations, 4 Star ADM Gilday of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Chief of Staff of the US Navy, who spoke directly to the CO of CVN 71. Hardly a short circuit.
The CNO is not the Chief of Staff for SECNAV or anyone else. He has his own Chief of Staff. The Chief of Staff of Acting Secretary Modly is Bob Love. And it appears you were never in the Navy. You seriously think the senior military officer in the Navy is the Secretary's Chief of Staff.
The CO told my Chief of Staff that he was receiving those resources, and was fully aware of the Navy’s response, only asking that the he wished the crew could be evacuated faster. My Chief of Staff ensured that the CO knew that he had an open line to me to use at any time.
The Chief of Staff for SECNAV ensured Capt. Crozier he, Capt. Crozier, had an open line to SECNAV. Had Capt. Crozier directly initiated a contact with SECNAV, that would damn sure short circuit the chain of command.
The CNO has the NIS report as of Monday — everything including emails and the leakers who would aid the chicom enemy for personal gain.
Update your database. It has not been NIS since 1992. In 1991, NIS had that minor problem with its investigation of the Tailhook Scandal. A new agency was formed in 1992 called NCIS, Naval Criminal Investigative Service, with a civilian director. Did you make up this claim of an NIS report?
NCIS probably played a role in approving Vietnam as a port of call. They do that sort of thing.
The infection on the ship, and its docking in Guam, was in newspapers and on television long before Captain Crozier hit the send button. The infection on a Navy ship is far less controllable than on a cruise ship. The fact of over 100 infections was in the news when the ship docked. The ChiComs learned nothing new. The ship has been in port for nearly two weeks and there isn't even an expectation date of when it will return to service and get underway.
I will wait for a report which identifies the first group that got off the ship.
this CO or somebody working for or on their own, concocted this silly letter.
That thing appears to be an attachment to an email. It's numbered paragraphs follow naval letter format. The unnumbered BLUF paragraph stands out as an anomaly.
If anyone helped Capt. Crozier draft the text, it would have been a guy referred to as the Captain's Writer, normally a Chief Yeoman.
Baker to COMPACFLT ADM Aquilino to the CNO, who talked with all 3 before talking directly with Crozier. Public has Zip to do with it— until after the fact—
Do you have a bridge to sell me too? That whole sequence was after the fact damage control.
Riddle me this one. Why did Modly have to fly eight thousand miles to Guam? If all he went there for was to embarrass himself and the Navy over the 1MC, he could have piped it in from Arlington. He did not have to go Guam to give a speech over the 1MC. It's not like the 1MC is a tv transmission where they are watching him either.
The CNO has the NIS report as of Monday— everything including emails and the leakers who would aid the chicom enemy for personal gain. Bout to get very real for them, in a Brig.
Don't hold your breath. Trump said he was getting involved and an hour later Modly was publicly apologizing to Captain Crozier.
The vocal crew reaction caught during the Modly speech was, "What the F***?"
If anyone is going anywhere following an investigation, it is Modly or RADM Baker.
You might want to look at something other than San Fran Nantzi’s pals at the Chronicle. Like Navy Regs, UCMJ and the USNI Proceedings.
USNI Proceedings? A military magazine, seriously? Your lack of subject matter knowledge is showing. all you are missing is All Hands and Navy Times.
For disciplinary proceedings you left out the MCM and RCM, probably because you have never seen them. Plain and simple, you do not know what you are talking about. Your knowledge of military law and naval administration appears to be zilch. I have spent a great deal more time reading the MCM and UCMJ (the book, not the poster) than you had time in the Navy.
Well, that did not take long. Modly is OUT.
He resigned. Why? He was doing his job.
The Chicoms and Russians are having a good laugh.
He resigned. Why? He was doing his job.
It is quite possible we shall see about that.
So he was the problem. And btw— you’ve no idea what Navy service I’ve had, and will not provide it to you.
Your post indicated a serious lack of understanding of the time lines. March the 5th especially.
Go push your wood.
Your post indicated a serious lack of understanding of the time lines. March the 5th especially.
The Roosevelt, accompanied by the Bunker Hill, was in Vietnam on March 5th.
A ship with an admiral aboard does not go anywhere the admiral does not choose to go. I understand that perfectly.
The ship was in port in Vietnam for five days.
The ship has been in port in Guam for nearly two weeks, since March 27th. Capt. Crozier hit the send button on March 30th.
And now they’re both gone. Amazing. I didn’t believe at first the email was even sent by the Captain. Not the Navy I remember as a Marine.
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