Navy captain who raised coronavirus alarm relieved of command
Washington — The captain of an aircraft carrier hit by the coronavirus was relieved of his command by the Navy on Thursday for going outside the chain of command and circulating a memo pleading for help from Washington, one which quickly became public.
Acting Secretary of the Navy Thomas Modly said he relieved Captain Brett Crozier of command of the USS Theodore Roosevelt after losing confidence in his ability to lead under the stress of dealing with the viral outbreak.
"Command is a sacred trust that must be continually earned," Modly said at a news conference at the Pentagon. "As I learned more about the events of the past week onboard the Teddy Roosevelt ... I could reach no other conclusion than Captain Crozier had allowed the complexity of his challenge with the COVID breakout on the ship to overwhelm his ability to act professionally, when acting professionally was what was needed most at the time."
Crozier's memo painted a portrait of a dire situation onboard the Roosevelt, where dozens of sailors have tested positive for the coronavirus. Crozier argued that "[d]ecisive action" was needed to stop the spread of the virus, and called for the immediate removal of sailors from the ship.
David Martin contributed to this report.
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