Navy Expected to Relieve Captain Who Raised Alarm About Covid-19 Outbreak on Aircraft Carrier

[lavenderdiva]

Source: NBC News

The Navy is expected to announce it has relieved the captain who sounded the alarm about an outbreak of COVID-19 aboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt, according to two U.S. officials.

Crozier raised the alarm earlier this week that sailors on the ship need to be quarantined to stop the spread of the virus. His plea for assistance quickly made headlines.

Crozier sent a letter to the Navy on Monday begging for help addressing the coronavirus outbreak aboard his ship, which was forced to dock in Guam last week. The ship leadership began testing everyone on board. By Wednesday, there were 93 positive test results and more than 1,000 people had departed the ship into isolation on Guam. In total, 2,700 people are expected to disembark the ship this week, with a smaller crew remaining to maintain the ship.

The move is expected to be announced in a briefing by Acting Secretary of the Navy Thomas Modly Thursday evening. The official reason for Crozier's relief of duty is a loss of trust and confidence, according to the officials who spoke to NBC News



Read more: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/military/navy-expected-relieve-captain-who-raised-alarm-about-covid-19-n1175351

---

Anyone surprised?

[bullwinkle428]

1. So he decided to make an example out of another whistleblower.

[NotHardly]

23. Captain tries to save his crew... Trump makes sure Captain is crucified for defying 'talking points'

[iluvtennis]

38. + 1. nt

[Alacritous Crier]

2. No.

Not surprised. Trump's navy is incredibly weak at the moment.

[lagomorph777]

13. Trump's Navy.

Why am I picturing a little boy with rubber duckies, laughing at his own fart bubbles in the bathtub?

[Alacritous Crier]

19. That sounds about right. - nt

[intrepidity]

3. My, how very CCP of them nt

[Freethinker65]

4. Future Medal of Honor recipient

[dawg day]

5. I knew it.

It's little comfort, but his shipmates will have confidence in him.

I heard the lickspittle acting navy secy downplaying the danger... no big deal!

[flibbitygiblets]

6. "relieved" doesn't sound like a good thing in this case. What was he supposed to do?

Wait until they all died and the ship just floats around like a ghost ship? Is that was he was expected to do?

Why the FUCK is it a bad thing to just be honest that people are infected?

[marble falls]

8. Relieved means he'll never get another promotion.

[COLGATE4]

10. Yep. He'll be a Captain, assigned to some no, nevermind

job in East Ringworm, AL until he can't take it and retires. Keep in mind that he was on a fast track to make Admiral until he put the needs of his sailors first.

[marble falls]

11. Yep. He'll be buried in the Pentagon.

[COLGATE4]

12. Jn charge of the widget inventory

[atreides1]

20. No he won't

The suits in the Pentagon won't put themselves in the position of being in the same building as a commander who did what he was suppose to do...take care of his people.

Most of the empty suits that make up the Joint Chiefs are nothing more then civilians with color ribbons on their chests...there are E-1's in the military that possess more courage then the 8 old white men, who are long past their prime..and have spent more time in the last 3 years, trying to figure out how not to upset the Russian puppet in the White House!

[marble falls]

22. My experiance leads me believe otherwise. Millitary bullies treat their victims like trophies.

[BusyBeingBest]

26. Commanders aren't supposed to broadcast readiness problems.

Also, commanders and officers in general aren't supposed to complain/call out problems. They are supposed to git-'er-done or hide the fact that they aren't gitting 'er done.

[marble falls]

7. A new twist on the old adage, 'a squeeky wheel gets greased.' Shame in the Navy.

[Judi Lynn]

14. Excellent makeover! Thanks. n/t

[Marcuse]

9. This decision came from the top, as did those re the Vindamans and the Seal war criminal.

Last edited Thu Apr 2, 2020, 05:47 PM - Edit history (2)

Trump may have him reassigned to Naples.

[2naSalit]

30. +1

[Zambero]

15. No good deed will go unpunished

Leadership during a time of crisis will NOT be tolerated!

[Lulu KC]

53. good one n/t

[djacq]

16. He'll Likely Resign... Standby for the Interview.

[sarge43]

51. No, he'll put in his retirement papers. Then, he may do an interview.

He won't get any further up the greasy pole

[Paladin]

17. MotherFUCK that shit.

That Captain deserves the Medal Of Honor for his actions aboard that carrier.

Let's see the trump whores try to put a happy face on this revolting development.

[turbinetree]

18. Come January 20, 2021, he will be reinstated to his command and the person(s)

that decided to do what they did to him will be under indictment.....................for there crimes, against the country, against humanity....................that is all....................

[artemisia1]

21. Of course they did...

This Captain should be on the list for Rear Admiral (Lower Half) for putting the welfare of his people above his own career. The moment I heard this story about the letter, though, I knew his career was effectively over. The vindictiveness of those in power is legendary.

[Eugene]

24. It's official: U.S. Navy relieves commander of coronavirus-hit aircraft carrier

Source: Reuters

WORLD NEWS APRIL 2, 2020 / 5:20 PM / UPDATED 11 MINUTES AGO

U.S. Navy relieves commander of coronavirus-hit aircraft carrier

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Navy announced on Thursday it had relieved the commander of the U.S. aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt, who wrote a scathing letter that leaked to the public asking Navy leadership for stronger measures to control a coronavirus outbreak onboard.

Reuters reported earlier on Thursday that the commander, Captain Brett Crozier, was expected to be relieved.

Reporting by Phil Stewart and Idrees Ali; Editing by Chris Reese

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-usa-navy-confirmat/u-s-navy-relieves-commander-of-coronavirus-hit-aircraft-carrier-idUSKBN21K3EC

[BusyBeingBest]

25. If he went up the chain of command and they refused to act, then he had

no choice but to go public in order to force their hand and protect his sailors. He probably knew when he wrote the letter that it might be the career-ender for him. What an impossible situation for him--not able to complete the mission, not able to protect his people, and having to let enemy forces know the US has what amounts to a defunct carrier right now. Really a shitty situation.

[ArizonaLib]

31. Yes - there are other ethical reasons for taking his actions

I don't think he will ever regret what he did and can live long and sleep well each and every night. He knew what he was getting into as he made his decision to go public. By the time he made his decision he was ok with leaving his career behind. Anyone who has ever had the strength to stand up for what is right knows this well.

[paleotn]

32. Probably the case. Sometimes you've got to do the right thing...

consequences be damned. Sacrifice yourself for the good of your subordinates. That's called leadership. Read that in an old management textbook I think.

[Strelnikov_]

44. I agree. This captain put his crew above career.

Need a bit more of that.

[hadEnuf]

46. I'm sure Trump already told his dictator buddies that the carrier was defunct.

He has a habit of giving information to Russians, North Koreans and the Chinese.

[Me.]

27. I Bet He Thinks Saving All Those Men Was Worth It

[paleotn]

28. Great....Now we have a carrier down for who knows how long

and a crew with moral issues, since the skipper who tried to protect them and got sacked for it. Nice.

[dflprincess]

29. On Stephanie Miller's show yesterday Malcom Nance

said the commander was risking his career by going public. Nance also said the commander is to be admired for putting his crew ahead of his career.

And who among us doesn't agree with that?

[Quixote1818]

33. Well put nt

[FelineOverlord]

34. Navy Expected to Relieve Captain Who Raised Alarm About Covid-19 Outbreak on Aircraft Carrier

Twitter is understandably outraged.

Link to tweet

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Link to tweet

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Link to tweet

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Link to tweet

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Link to tweet

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[Sapient Donkey]

35. I am surprised and disappointed in the Navy if true.

Captain looks out for his crew and this is what happens.

[kairos12]

36. A warning to all in the C of C never to speak out.

[DeminPennswoods]

50. That is so true

Going outside the command whether military or civilian, no matter how low or high-ranking one is, is pretty much verboten. But Crozier did the right thing. He will have the respect and admiration of his crew forever.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

37. I hope the real military leadership in the Biden administration will fix this.

Give him command of a fleet, give him a star, and a commendation.

This Captain is a leader.

[nitpicker]

48. That presumes the blinders come off

The idiots that voted for the idiot.

And that Pence somehow isn't top of the ticket in November.

BUT even if Biden wins in November, the best the guy could hope for is a civilian makework job such as deputy assistant to the assistant secretary for Silly Walks (it would be titled something else, but...)

[Raven123]

39. Sorry for the Captain, but he was going to become the scapegoat and be relieved anyway

They were going to blame him for failing to contain the outbreak. May as well go down fighting for his crew.

[bronxiteforever]

40. K&R He deserves the Medal of Freedom!

In the best tradition of the Navy, he fought for his crew.

[JHB]

41. Another "leaker" dealt with

[Chainfire]

42. The Captain knew

that if he went public his career would be over, but he still did the right thing, and now a lot of the men under him will be saved. He is a hero. Under a different Commander In Chief, he would have been supported in his efforts to save the crew.

This Captain is a true hero, and his Commander in Chief is a chickenshit draft dodger.

For those of you who's English may not be your first language, I will refer you to an expert for the definition:
From the book Citizen Soldiers by Stephen Ambrose.

Fussell defines the term precisely. "Chickenshit refers to behavior that makes military life worse than it need be: petty harassment of the weak by the strong; open scrimmage for power and authority and prestige... insistence on the letter rather than the spirit of ordinances. Chickenshit is so called -- instead of horse -- or bull -- or elephant shit -- because it is small-minded and ignoble and takes the trivial seriously. Chickenshit can be recognized instantly because it never has anything to do with winning the war."

[sarge43]

49. Mickey Mouse and Chickenshit

Mickey Mouse: Re cleaning a perfectly clean floor (Pointless or unnecessary make work)

Chickenshit: With a toothbrush (Punishing and/or humiliating those caught up in the Mickey Mouse)

[OMGWTF]

43. Is Shitler still having his daily chats with Vlad? I swear that's who is "advising" him.

Everything Trump does hurts American and our democracy. Hanging is too good for that malignant misanthrope.

[kimbutgar]

45. Malcom Nance said this guy was track to be an admiral but admitting this blew his chances

He said his navy career is basically over. I hope when Biden becomes President he makes this guy the secretary of the Navy for his bravery.

[sarge43]

47. Punishe the innocent; promote the guilty. SOP. n/t

[TNNurse]

52. How dare he protect his crew????

[TomSlick]

54. I suppose to be the contrarian.....

The Captain was right to raise his concerns. However, if he did so using an unsecured e-mail system he was wrong.

The readiness of a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier is a matter of serious sensitivity. A report that the aircraft has potential problems with essential manning is too sensitive to be on any unsecured system. Such information should, almost necessarily, be classified as Top Secret.

An aircraft carrier can send e-mail via SIPRNET - a secured system used to transmit classified information. There is no reason I can imagine for the Captain not using SIPRNET to forward his letter. If, for some reason, the SIPRNET could not be used, the letter should have been flown to a location where it could be sent via SIPRNET.

If the Captain sent the letter over an unsecured system intentionally, he did so so that it would be leaked. If the Captain sent the letter over an unsecured system unintentionally, he was woefully negligent.

If, as reported, the Captain forwarded his e-mail using unsecured e-mail, he should be relieved.

[BlueNIndiana]

62. I agree with you

I am ex navy enlisted.

I am not surprised he has or will be re-leaved of his commend.

From a civilian point of view it is commendable and it hard for the general public to understand the military and its policies and why they are so strict.

This is a national security issue. The readiness of the military is something that is kept close to the vest in order to deter enemies.

Making this public knowledge while admirable is also reckless from a military point of view.

I as lowly enlisted man who served on two different ships i can tell you the is no such things a social distancing on board a military ship it is virtually impossible to achieve even if you severely reduce the manning.

I suspect the number of cases on board that ship will be very high just do the close quarters they are living under.

If this hits the submarine force especially the boomer (ICBM) it could impact out nuclear deterrent capability and that can be very serous.

We have two primary boomer bases one in Washington State and one in Georgia.

The ships and the subs who have been at sea and are now assured they don't have the virus should not be allowed off the ship and only provision be dropped of at the pier or unrep.

anyone leaving the ship can not come back for at least 14 days and anyone who will come aboard should be isolated for at least 14 days and tested for the virus before they even set foot on those ships or submarines.

All branches of the service should stop the discharge of personnel immediate and stop all basic training.

All personnel should be required to stay on base and isolate the sick and stop the spread to the disease.

This disease is huge national security issue.

Most branches have some form of CHEMBIO training.

The ship training had for chem warfare was stark. They had decom station and if you tried to violate that and get back inside the ship, lets just say you was going to be dealt with in the harshest possible terms.

If you tried to break back in and open a hatch or door you would not live long enough, armed guards would put you down.

[TomSlick]

63. Careful, sailor. Agreeing with me on this is dangerous.

I suspect that only veterans will understand.

[pbmus]

64. BS...secure or unsecured...

[TomSlick]

65. I disagree. It was not at all BS for the Captain to raise his concerns.

His mistake was sending vital national security information over unsecured systems.

I assume that you are not suggesting that it is BS to insist that national security information only be sent over secured systems. It would be the height of folly to send the information that a nuclear powered aircraft carrier may be unable to perform its mission in the clear. I know that you would not suggest such a thing.

[pbmus]

66. If his superiors were ignoring or otherwise delaying decisions due

To politics...secure or unsecure doesn’t mean diddly to me if one sailor would die in the meantime...

You are being sanctimonious when lives were at stake....

Any other time, I might agree with you...but this is not one of those times.

[TomSlick]

67. Let's try it this way:

Does it seem likely to you that bad actors in the Pacific would be interested to know that an aircraft carrier - and therefore an entire aircraft carrier task force - might be combat ineffective? If bad actors know that an aircraft carrier task force is combat ineffective, all the sailors in the task force are put in danger.

That is why such information must be sent only over secured systems.

[pbmus]

68. Again, you are assuming a bad actor when sailors are dying right now because

My superior will not act because of politics...

My sailors dying right now are of more concern to me than Russian warships 1300 miles away...or any bad actor starting a war in the middle of a pandemic...

You’re argument is weak ... secure or unsecured

[TomSlick]

69. My argument is based on years of working with classified information.

Using the SIPRNET is simple. It is an internet-like system that operates separately from the internet using encrypted communication. All that is required to send an e-mail over the SIPRNET is doing so over a computer connected to that system. An aircraft commander has a group of people whose job it is to operate the communications system. The letter could have been forwarded correctly as a matter of routine.

There was no reason for the Captain to send his letter over the internet. Hanlon's Razor suggests the Captain did not send the letter via the open internet for the purpose of having the letter leak but simply as a matter of negligence. Senior officers should expect to be relieved for serious acts of negligence.

[pbmus]

70. I have also worked in top secret environments...1st in Vietnam

And I will tell you that my communication when my soldiers were at risk or dying was use the communication that will get the choppers in NOW, NOT LATER...

This is exactly what Captain Grozier did...He accomplished his primary duty, the safety of his sailors...

[TomSlick]

72. I'm certain that communication security was not the primary concern using a PRC 77.

The military is indeed fortunate that secured communications are now a routine matter.

[pbmus]

74. My radioman was one of my primary communication security concerns ...

Without radio and that 10 ft antenna sticking up in the air like here I am, the Vietcong knew that without him, our squad was dead...so I positioned him so that he was not in the five second kill zone...in other words a secure position...

Your assumption that we did not use secure communication is totally wrong...

‘The PRC-77 radios could be used for secure voice communications with the addition of NSA designed COMSEC boxes (KY-38 and later KY-57).’...

https://olive-drab.com/od_electronics_anprc25.php

And we are also very fortunate to have commanders like Captain Crozier, who knows his primary duty is the health and welfare of his crew.

[mahina]

55. Fuckers.

I am fuming.

[Under The Radar]

56. Nothing to be surprised about after firing the Sec of the Navy

...over the pardon of a criminal seal.

[warmfeet]

57. U.S.A.

We are number one, amirite? How much more of this shit do we have to take? Hmm?

[patphil]

58. So, has Captain Crozier suffered a loss of faith and confidence in the Navy's command?

Wrong people being relieved of duty.

[gab13by13]

59. Trump is sending a message to other captains,

The USS Theodore Roosevelt isn't the only ship that has had virus problems. The USS Boxer and USS Coronado have had issues, and who knows how many more since Captains who complain will be fired.

[keithbvadu2]

60. He was warned not to raise the truth.

He was warned not to raise the truth.

Defense Secretary Warns Commanders Not to Surprise Trump on Coronavirus

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100213039823

---------------------------
Esper Warns Not to Surprise Trump on Coronavirus

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100213041633

[orleans]

61. trump and pestilence brigade rev up and

rally around whistleblower with their touch of death

[70sEraVet]

71. PLEASE contact your Congressman and Senators

Capt. Brett Crozier was looking out for the welfare of his sailors, and was embarrassing his superiors, who consistently refused to acknowledge the dire circumstances aboard. To assign a new Commanding Officer at this point would DESTROY the morale of that ship for years to come. REINSTATE CAPTAIN COZIER.

[ck4829]

75. Kick