Acting Secretary of the Navy James McPherson called for an additional investigation into the coronavirus outbreak aboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt and its subsequent fallout, effectively delaying a decision on reinstating the vessel’s ousted captain.
Capt. Brett Crozier, who previously commanded the vessel, was relieved of duty after a letter he sent to top Navy officials in late March leaked to the media. In it, he requested the Navy’s help evacuating sailors from his nuclear aircraft carrier and cleaning the ship after dozens of service members tested positive for the virus.
McPherson ordered the follow-up investigation on Wednesday, citing “unanswered questions that the preliminary inquiry has identified and that can only be answered by a deeper review.”
“Therefore, I am directing Adm. Gilday to conduct a follow-on command investigation,” he said in a statement. “This investigation will build on the good work of the initial inquiry to provide a more fulsome understanding of the sequence of events, actions, and decisions of the chain of command surrounding the COVID-19 outbreak aboard USS Theodore Roosevelt.”
Adm. Michael Gilday, the Navy chief of operations, and Defense Secretary Mark Esper have both left the door open to reinstating Crozier, pending the outcome of the investigations.
The former acting Navy Secretary Thomas Modly dismissed Crozier for sending the plea, arguing that the captain failed to follow the proper chain of command to make his request. Esper defended the firing, saying that “we hold leaders accountable for their actions.”
Modly abruptly resigned after calling Crozer either “too naive or too stupid to be a commanding officer of a ship like this” during an address to the ship’s members.
