Navy Defers Decision On Reinstating Aircraft Carrier Captain Fired Over Ominous Letter
Captain Crozier
Back-burnered until he quietly retires. Poetrooper sends.
Work has already begun on getting the affected ship, USS Theodore Roosevelt, back out to sea after more than a month of being sidelined.
BY JOSEPH TREVITHICKA
The U.S. Navy has announced it will conduct a broader investigation into circumstances regarding a major outbreak of the COVID-19 novel coronavirus among the crew of the Nimitz class aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt. In doing so, the service has at least delayed implementation of a key recommendation from a preliminary review, that Captain Brett Crozier, the carrier’s former commanding officer, who was sacked over a letter warning about the serious risks the virus posed to his sailors, be given back command of that ship. This all comes at the Navy says that it is beginning to move previously quarantined personnel back onto Theodore Roosevelt as preparations begin to get it back out to sea after weeks of being docked in Guam.
Politico was first to report that Acting Secretary of the Navy James McPherson had ordered the new review regarding the Theodore Roosevelt and Captain Crozier on Apr. 29, 2020, which the Navy subsequently confirmed. This decision reportedly came after pressure from U.S. Army General Mark Milley, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who had also argued for this additional investigation to Secretary of Defense Mark Esper.
“After carefully reviewing the preliminary inquiry into the events surrounding the COVID-19 outbreak aboard USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71), the Chief of Naval Operations, Adm. Mike Gilday, provided me with his recommendations,” Acting Secretary McPherson said in a statement to USNI News. “Following our discussion, I have unanswered questions that the preliminary inquiry has identified and that can only be answered by a deeper review.”
Reinstatement would not be a favor to Crozier; he’d spend his days as a Staff Officer to some Flag, and never be promoted above O-6 until he hits high-year-tenure. Best to retire now and move on. Read the entire article here: The Drive
Thanks, Poe.
Category: Guest Link, Navy
I agree: retire now and stock up on popcorn and beverages, because there’s a bumpy road ahead for Esper. What else did he befoul?
Yep, iffen I was him, I’d take it to the house. Even if he tried to milk a few more paydays out of Big Navy, IMO, it wouldn’t be worth it. He’d make a nice check doing the pity party circuit screaming about ORANGE MAN BAD, or BIG NAVY SUCKS, and who can forget the classic WE WUZ ROBBED!!!!!!!!!. Plus, as was pointed out on the other thread about him, the whole expert consultant, talking head, whatever.
Dumbass is lucky he didn’t get court martialed and thrown out on his ear…after he spent 6-10 years making gravel out of boulders.
CNN will be the high bidder.
You mean the biggest DNC whorehouse in the mainstream news media next to MSDNC?
From the linked article: ‘[…] The entire discussion surrounding the COVID-19 outbreak on Theodore Roosevelt remains immensely political. […].’ Which is precisely why it would be a huge mistake for the Navy to reinstate CAPT Crozier as the CO of USS THEODORE ROOSEVELT. Too much emotion and opportunistic politics are swirling around this unfortunate incident, and it’s turning into an unprofessional clown show that is an embarrassment to the Naval Service. Rightly or wrongly, CAPT Crozier was relieved of command for cause. It’s over; the damage to his career has been done. He will always be “That Guy”, and he’s never going to attain Flag rank. Reinstating him as the CO would be nothing but an adverse distraction for the crew (and the rest of the Carrier Strike Group) for the rest of the deployment, and no amount of emotion and pressure brought to bear on this situation by politicians and media figures is going to remove the professional notoriety that is now attached to CAPT Crozier from here on out. He’s done as a career officer in the U.S. Navy. Crozier’s reinstatement could also have an adverse effect on command relationships within the Carrier Strike Group (CSG). If reinstated, what would Crozier’s command relationship be like with his boss the CSG Commander? What would the CSG Commander think about Crozier’s professional judgment? What about trust? Would the CSG Commander feel that his authority had been undermined by Big Navy’s reinstatement of Crozier, and what would he think about having Big Navy looking over his shoulder for the rest of the deployment (which they would do)? What about Crozier’s command relationships with the COs of the other ships in the CSG? Would they still respect his professional judgment as a fellow CO? Would his fellow COs, who did nothing controversial on the world stage, resent Crozier’s reinstatement? Things could get ugly fast. In my opinion, the best thing that CAPT Crozier could do at this point would be to drop his retirement letter, move on into civilian life, and make way for another highly-qualified Naval Aviator CAPT to take command… Read more »
Thanks Mick. I failed to consider the second and third order ramifications of his reinstatement, focusing instead on the man himself. It would ‘poison the well’ for the rest of the Strike Group’s deployment, at the very least. Big Navy needs to put this entire incident in its wake and move on.
“The entire discussion surrounding the COVID-19 outbreak on Theodore Roosevelt remains immensely political.”
And the only reason for that is that the Democrats are trying to use the incident to stir up more crap to hurt Trump. That’s it, purely and simply, nothing more.
And as Mick has so capably pointed out, Crozier is no longer an asset to his service in a command billet–he would be a clear liability, however, with his judgment, thus his authority always subject to question.
Rightfully so in my opinion.
“Crozier is no longer an asset to his service in a command billet–h”
Right. He is an embarrassment to his superiors by being a reminder of their screwups. So, for “the good of the service” (the Admirals) Crozier has to go, guilty or innocent.
There’s the spirit that make this country great! Screw the individual. If you get screwed just suck it up, shut up, and take one for the team, and let the ones who actually screwed up (the team) off the hook. You are expendable, your superiors aren’t.
“Reinstatement would not be a favor to Crozier; he’d spend his days as a Staff Officer to some Flag, and never be promoted above O-6 until he hits high-year-tenure.”
That’s not what this is about. He wasn’t fired from the Navy. He will already spend as long as he wants as a terminal O-6 in staff jobs.
The recommendation of the report was to reinstate him to command of the TR.
I think the letter was to alert his chain of command? Am I right that an Admiral in his chain bunked in a stateroom near his? Couldn’t he knock the Admiral’s door (or whatever squids call a door)?
That’s correct, Sj. The Rear Admiral in command of the CSG (CAPT Crozier’s boss) was embarked aboard the carrier, so Crozier could have spoken to him in person about this situation. Don’t know if he did or not.
Haven’t heard much about the nature of their working relationship, or if CAPT Crozier was keeping the CSG Commander informed regarding his letter.
Couldn’t he knock the Admiral’s door (or whatever squids call a door)?
Terminology you are seeking is glory hole.
While Crozier may at present be a Belle of the Liberal Ball, he’s danced a sailor’s hornpipe all over his career…
Next skipper’s problem now.
He fucked up…
He’s better off retiring now… the stigma of what happen will follow him no matter where he goes, until he retires.
He should get out for his own good, eh? The fact that his actions brought attention to the perhaps faulty judgement of his superiors has nothing to do with it?
Question: Is the possible reinstatement of Captain Crosier as commander of the Theodore Roosevelt Aircraft Carrier cover for Admirals in his chain of command not doing their jobs?
Captain Crosier should have been terminated for two reasons; both are for insubordination.
1. OPSEC/COMSEC (Operation Security/Communications Security) violations. US military asset movements (people and things) and readiness capabilities are classified at the highest level. Consider the region, consider the threats (North Korea, China’s base in the Spratly Islands off the coast of the Philippines, freedom of navigation routes, etc.). Pentagon in concert with the State Department makes those decisions.
2. Crozier’s immediate superior, the Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Strike Group Commander Rear Adm. Stuart Baker was on the same aircraft carrier, “right down the passageway from him,” when Crozier sent the letter. He did not bother to tell the Admiral. Rather than notify Admiral Baker, Crozier’s letter went outside his chain of command and sent the letter over “non- secure, unclassified email even though that ship possesses some of the most sophisticated communications and encryption equipment in the Fleet.”
Worse, the Captain’s actions made his Sailors, their families, and many in the public believe that his letter was the only reason help from our larger Navy family was forthcoming, which was hopefully not the case.
Looks like some US Navy Admirals did not do their jobs! Why did the Admirals in Captain Crosier’s chain of command not say anything or take action (Admiral Baker, Three Star Admiral in Japan, Four Star Admiral in Hawaii, and Four-Star Admiral at the Pentagon)?
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“He did not bother to tell the Admiral.”
And you know that because….?
“OPSEC/COMSEC (Operation Security/Communications Security) violations.”
Those charges are, at best, nit-picking. By the time Crozier sent the infamous email TR had already cut short its cruise and was tied up in Guam offloading and transferring infected sailorsIf the Chinese (and others) didn’t know what was happening at that point they are too stupid to be a real threat to us. to medical facilities.
” Is the possible reinstatement of Captain Crosier as commander of the Theodore Roosevelt Aircraft Carrier cover for Admirals in his chain of command not doing their jobs?”
At this point the alternative theory that his dismissal was cover for Admirals not doing their jobs is also possible. Crozier would not be the first scapegoat ever in the Navy. An actual investigation would be nice. Even a court martial if his actions are as bad as some seem to think, would be the proper way to go.