The USS Theodore Roosevelt is back at sea almost two months after a massive coronavirus outbreak caused the ship to dock.
The U.S. Navy announced the ship’s Wednesday return to service in a press release, noting it was the first time the aircraft carrier has left where it has been docked in Guam since March 21.
“It feels great to be back at sea,” said Rear Adm. Stu Baker. “Getting Theodore Roosevelt and Carrier Air Wing 11 one step closer to returning to their mission in the Indo-Pacific is a great achievement for the crew.”
The entire ship was cleaned “from bow to stern” after the outbreak, which infected about 1,200 of those aboard and resulted in the death of one 41-year-old sailor. The crew of the ship has now been temporarily scaled back, given the coronavirus pandemic and previous outbreak on the ship.
“We are scaling our manning on board based on our mission requirement,” said Capt. Carlos Sardiello, the aircraft carrier’s commanding officer. “Carrier qualification requires fewer personnel than other missions, and bringing fewer Sailors on board will enable enhanced social distancing while underway.”
The USS Theodore Roosevelt made national headlines after it became the center of a saga involving top Navy officials. When the outbreak on the carrier began, then-Capt. Brett Crozier sent a letter expressing concern about the situation to multiple people in a move Navy officials said was intended to be leaked and result in media coverage.
Following Crozier’s removal, then-acting Navy Secretary Thomas Modly delivered a profanity-laden speech to Crozier’s former sailors and later resigned when the audio surfaced. Since then, the Navy has weighed reinstating Crozier with investigations launched into the letter and his removal.
Last week, a number of sailors were removed from the ship and placed back into quarantine after testing positive for the coronavirus a second time.
