From Military.com:
“Former USS Theodore Roosevelt Commander
Leaves Guam for New Assignment”
Capt. Brett Crozier, the former
commander of the USS Theodore Roosevelt, has left Guam where he had been fighting
the coronavirus and has been reassigned to a position in California, according
to a Navy official. Crozier now reports to the commander of Naval Air Forces,
U.S. Pacific Fleet, based in San Diego, Cmdr. Ron Flanders, a spokesman for
Naval Air Forces, wrote Tuesday in an email. The captain was relieved of
command of the aircraft carrier on April 2, several days after a letter that he
wrote requesting the crew be evacuated from the ship due to an outbreak of the
virus was leaked to the media.
Crozier warned in his letter that
the outbreak could kill some sailors, and "if we do not act now, we are
failing to properly take care of our most trusted asset -- our sailors." Crozier
is now special assistant to Capt. Max McCoy, the chief of staff for the
commander of Naval Air Forces, U.S. Pacific Fleet, according to Flanders. The
Navy initiated an investigation into the outbreak and Crozier's letter
following his dismissal. On April 24, the Navy's top leaders briefed Defense
Secretary Mark Esper on the investigation and news reports said they
recommended Crozier be reinstated as commander of the Roosevelt. However, no
action was taken after Esper requested more time to review the Navy's written
report. Since that briefing, the entire 4,800-member crew of the Roosevelt has
been tested for the coronavirus, the Navy has reported. The Navy's last update
Thursday stated there were 1,102 active cases of the virus among the ship's
crew, 53 sailors had recovered, and three were being treated at U.S. Naval
Hospital Guam for symptoms. One Roosevelt sailor died April 13 from the virus. Sailors
have been returning to the Roosevelt after weeks of quarantine in Guam. Sailors
who have tested negative repeatedly for the virus are allowed back on the ship,
which has been cleaned, according to the Navy. The nuclear-powered aircraft
carrier arrived in Guam on March 27 as the virus spread among the ship's crew.
The new commander, Capt. Carlos Sardiello, said during a CBS News interview
Monday that the ship will not wait for all its sailors to leave quarantine
before it returns to sea. More than half of the crew has returned to the ship,
according to the CBS report. "We've taken 45 days from that business (of
patrolling) and it's a dangerous business, so we have a lot of training to
complete," he said. Acting Navy Secretary James McPherson on Wednesday
ordered a deeper review into the virus outbreak aboard the Roosevelt and the
Navy's response, following an initial investigation that left him with
"unanswered questions." The investigation is expected to be submitted
to Adm. Mike Gilday, the chief of naval operations, by May 27 unless an
extension is granted, Cmdr. Nate Christensen, a spokesman for Gilday, said
Thursday in a statement.
^ Captain Crozier may be going to
California for a new position, but he still deserves his command of Roosevelt
back. The different branches of the Federal Government (the Presidency, the
Secretary of Defense and the US Navy) all seem to be stalling fixing their
initial mistake of removing Captain Crozier from his command. No matter how
long it takes he will forever deserve to go back to the Roosevelt and anyone
who denies him that is denying America of a great hero. ^
https://www.military.com/daily-news/2020/05/06/former-uss-theodore-roosevelt-commander-leaves-guam-new-assignment.html
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