Aircraft carrier captain lost his command because of “Catch-22” COVID-19 dilemma

Enlarge / Captain Brett Crozier addresses the crew of the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt on November 1, 2019. (credit: Sean LYNCH / US NAVY / AFP)

There has been a great deal of outrage expressed over acting Secretary of the Navy Thomas Modly's decision to "relieve" Captain Brett Crozier of his command over the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt after Crozier raised the alarm over a COVID-19 outbreak aboard his ship. Crozier's letter was leaked to the San Francisco Chronicle, and Modly called the letter "poor judgement" by Crozier.

Modly had said on April 1 that Crozier's actions "would absolutely not result in any type of retaliation," stressing the need for commanding officers to be candid about their concerns. But that was apparently an April Fool's prank, as Modly moved the next day to dismiss Crozier because he had gone outside the chain of command.

There are two schools of thought on Crozier's dismissal. The Navy's official position is that Crozier stepped out of line by blasting a letter to "20 or 30" people in the Navy, didn't walk down the passageway to go through his direct superior to elevate the request, and created unneeded panic. His own crew and many observers not hampered by their office believe that Crozier did the right thing and that the Navy-and the Trump administration-are shooting the messenger of bad news.

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