The captain of the aircraft carrier U.S.S. Theodore Roosevelt who was fired for sounding the alarm about a coronavirus outbreak onboard the ship may now be returned to command.
Adm. Michael Gilday may reinstate Capt. Brett Crozier to the Theodore Roosevelt. Crozier is viewed as a hero by his crew for putting their lives above his career.
The Santa Rosa native was fired after writing a letter warning of a rapidly spreading outbreak aboard the ship and pleading for help treating crew members, which leaked.
Crozier was relieved of his command earlier this month by former acting U.S. Navy Secretary Thomas Modly, who told the crew of the Theodore Roosevelt that he fired their captain for writing a letter about the coronavirus spreading on their ship. Modly said Crozier had shown “extremely poor judgment” in widely distributing by the letter by email.
“He was either too naive or too stupid to be the commanding officer of a ship like this,” Modly told the crew in a now-viral speech.
Crozier was given a hero's send-off by his crew, who chanted his name as he left the ship.
Modly later apologized for his address and then resigned.
The Roosevelt first reported a confirmed COVID-19 case on March 22, two weeks after docking in Vietnam.
According to the New York Times, any decisions the Navy makes about Crozier could be upended by President Donald Trump, who has not been shy about intervening in military personnel cases in the past.
Crozier is currently in isolation in Guam after testing positive for the coronavirus himself.
So far, 615 members of the Theodore Roosevelt's crew have tested positive.
Five sailors are in the hospital. One crew member has died.
