Navy Reverses Course, Will Not Reinstate Captain Who Sounded Alarm on Coronavirus Outbreak

Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Michael Gilday reversed course and said Friday the U.S. Navy will not reinstate Capt. Brett Crozier to command the aircraft carrier USS Roosevelt, after he wrote a letter warning about the coronavirus outbreak aboard the ship. The letter was later leaked to the San Francisco Chronicle.

After a formal investigation, Gidlay changed his mind about reinstating Crozier upon learning more details about what led to 1,200 of the 5,000 sailors aboard the ship testing positive for COVID-19, a senior defense official told Fox News.

In addition, the promotion of Capt. Crozier’s commanding officer Rear Adm. Stuart Baker to two-star admiral will be delayed. . .

Crozier was fired April 2 by then-acting Navy Secretary Thomas Modly after sending a message to several naval officers warning about the growing virus outbreak and asking for permission to isolate the bulk of his crew members onshore in Guam, where the ship was forced to dock due to the outbreak. It was a bold move that would take the carrier out of duty in an effort to save lives. . .

Following Crozier’s dismissal, the crew of the USS Roosevelt gathered in the ship’s hangar deck to cheer for and applaud their captain. The send-off was captured on video and shared across social media. (Read more from “Navy Reverses Course, Will Not Reinstate Captain Who Sounded Alarm on Coronavirus Outbreak” HERE)

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