Defense Secretary Mark Esper left open the possibility of reinstating the commanding officer who was relieved of duty for pleading to military leadership to act faster to protect his crew from the coronavirus in a leaked letter.
Capt. Brett Crozier, who commanded the USS Theodore Roosevelt, was dismissed last week after a letter he had sent to top Navy officials requesting their help evacuating sailors from his nuclear aircraft carrier and cleansing the ship after dozens of servicemen in the 400-person crew tested positive for the virus was leaked to the media.
Adm. Michael Gilday, the Navy chief of operations, said earlier this week he would consider reinstating Crozier pending the outcome of an investigation, and Esper reiterated that sentiment during an interview on CBS This Morning on Friday.
“Well, look: When I replaced the acting Navy secretary three days ago, I called him and the chief of naval operations into my office,” Esper explained. “I gave them some guidance. One of the things I told them is this: No further action will be taken against Capt. Crozier until the investigation is completed. And once that’s completed, we’ll see where that takes us.”
“And so we’ve taken nothing off the table. What I look to do is hear from the chain of command. My inclination is always to support the chain of command and — and to take their recommendations seriously,” he continued. “So we’ll see how that plays out. At some point here in the coming days, they will come to me and share with me their findings and their recommendations.”
Acting Navy Secretary Thomas Modly dismissed Crozier for sending the letter that pleaded for quicker action to save his crew, arguing that Crozier failed to follow the proper chain of command to make his request. Esper previously defended the firing, explaining that “we hold leaders accountable for their actions.”
Modly abruptly resigned Tuesday after an embarrassing speech to COVID-19-ravaged crew members of the Roosevelt, during which he insulted the former captain.
The Roosevelt docked in Guam after sailors on board were diagnosed with the virus. As of Monday, the sidelined Roosevelt had already reported 173 positive COVID-19 cases, with 61% of its crew tested.
