Report: Navy Recommends Reinstating Fired Carrier Captain

SAN DIEGO, CA — Navy officials have recommended reinstating Capt. Brett Crozier, formerly of the San Diego-based USS Theodore Roosevelt, but Defense Secretary Mark T. Esper has requested more time to consider whether he will sign off on restoring Crozier's command, it was reported Friday.

Crozier was fired earlier this month by then-Acting Navy Secretary Thomas Modly for allegedly copying an emailed letter to several unauthorized parties, in which he asked Navy leadership for help amid a COVID-19 outbreak aboard his ship.

As of Thursday, there have been 840 positive COVID-19 cases among the ship's crew, with one death stemming from COVID-19 complications. The carrier has been docked in Guam for the past month.

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Following the letter's publication in various media outlets, Crozier was relieved of command, with Modly stating he'd "lost confidence" in the captain because he "allowed the complexity of his challenge with the COVID breakout on the ship to overwhelm his ability to act professionally, when acting professionally was needed most at the time."

Modly resigned less than a week later following his publicized comments to the ship's crew, in which he called Crozier's actions "a betrayal," and said he believed the captain either purposefully sent his letter to unauthorized parties or must have been "too naive or too stupid" to realize the import of his actions.

The New York Times reported Friday that Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Michael M. Gilday and Acting Navy Secretary James McPherson recommended Crozier's reinstatement, but Esper asked for more time to consider the decision. According to the newspaper, that "surprised Navy officials, who believed the defense secretary would leave the process in the hands of the military chain of command."

Also see:

• California Coronavirus: Latest Updates On Cases, Orders, Closures
• Coronavirus In San Diego County: Latest News
• 4 USS Theodore Roosevelt Sailors Hospitalized Due To Coronavirus
• Coronavirus: Sailor On SD-Based USS Theodore Roosevelt Dies
• Acting Naval Secretary Resigns After Controversial Comments
• Navy Secretary Defends Firing SD Carrier's Captain: Coronavirus
• Navy Fires Captain Of SD-Based Ship Who Sought Help: Coronavirus
• San Diego Residents Urged To 'Stay The Course' Following Protests
• 7 More Deaths As Coronavirus Cases Surpass 2,000 In San Diego
• Coronavirus Cases Surpass 1,000 Milestone In San Diego County
• Face Coverings Urged As Coronavirus Cases Rise In San Diego
• San Diego Authorities To Crack Down On Stay-At-Home Violators

— City News Service