Biden says dismissal of aircraft carrier captain is 'close to criminal'

[Boats]

Biden says dismissal of aircraft carrier captain is 'close to criminal'
By: Justine Coleman - The Hill - 04-05-20
Re: https://thehill.com/homenews/sunday-...se-to-criminal

Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden said Sunday that the dismissal of the captain of the USS Theodore Roosevelt, who raised the alarm about a coronavirus outbreak on the aircraft carrier, is “close to criminal.”

The former vice president said on ABC’s “This Week” that Capt. Brett Crozier “stood up and said what had to be said” with his sailors “in danger” when he wrote a letter requesting help from Navy leaders, which ended up leaking to the media.

“I think it’s close to criminal the way they’re dealing with this guy,” he said.

“I think he should have a commendation rather than be fired,” he added.

Crozier warned in the letter that there would be dire consequences if most of the crew did not evacuate. The Navy’s most recent update said 115 sailors on the ship have tested positive, amounting to 42 percent of all of the Navy’s infections.

The captain was relieved of his duty last Thursday, with Navy Secretary Thomas Modly saying Crozier's letter panicked families of sailors and provided information about the ship to the country’s adversaries.

“I have no doubt in my mind that Capt. Crozier did what he thought was in the best interest of the safety and well being of his crew. Unfortunately it did the opposite,” Modly said last week.

President Trump called Crozier’s letter “inappropriate” during a press briefing Saturday.

"I thought it was terrible what he did, to write a letter,” Trump said. “I mean, this isn't a class on literature. This is a captain of a massive ship that's nuclear powered, and he shouldn't be talking that way in a letter. He could call and ask and suggest.”

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Personal note: I feel the severe dismissal was not justified. If anything a reprimand would have sufficed - but to relieve him for announcing his men had the Coronovirus - got the attention his men needed when coming back into port. As for having any liberty in his last Port of Call - The Skipper may not have been given any orders prior to docking - to restrict liberty? That hasn't been noted anywhere since this issue took place? This could have been handled better in light of the ongoing virus issues of the day. Note: At sea the skipper calls the shots. I think he got a bums-deal - but left as a leader for his ship and men. I salute him for his decision regardless - but this could've been handled better by the President and the U.S. Navy Command - they just covered their ass as usual - and showing way too much heel licking of the Presidents shoes.

Boats

[Boats]

What U.S. is trying to hide by firing the captain of USS Roosevelt
By: CGTN News - 04-05-20
Re: https://news.cgtn.com/news/2020-04-0...SnS/index.html

Photo link: https://news.cgtn.com/news/3355444e3...1d80ea79cc.jpg
Captain Brett Crozier, former commanding officer of the U.S. Navy aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt, December 19, 2019. /Reuters

Note: This article is how China is viewing the current Navy Skipper's demise:

Editor's note: The following article is taken from the Chinese-language opinion column "The Real Point."

Hundreds of sailors on the nuclear aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt cheered for Captain Brett Crozier on April 3 as the latter disembarked the ship after being sacked by the Navy for his leaked warning letter about a coronavirus outbreak on the carrier.

In his letter to the Navy leadership, Captain Crozier pleaded for resources to allow isolation of his entire crew as an increasing number of sailors on board were infected with COVID-19 and the situation was quickly deteriorating. But the Navy decided to release Crozier from duty because he showed what they called "poor judgment" in the middle of a crisis.

Why did Washington punish someone who tried to save the lives of his crew?

Crozier was removed for revealing the military's incapability in dealing with the outbreak. Since the outbreak, the U.S. government has been criticized for its incompetence in virus prevention and control.

Crozier's letter to the Navy leadership was leaked to the media before being publicized, exposing the infection situation of the aircraft carrier docked in Guam and the military's sluggish response to the spread of the virus. Replacing the captain became the Navy's only face-saving option.

The Navy needs to find a scapegoat for the deteriorating situation on the ship. When speaking to the press, acting Secretary of the Navy Thomas Modly said Captain Crozier's action "unnecessarily raised alarms with the families of our Sailors and Marines with no plan to address those concerns." It is quite obvious that the Navy was trying to cast blame onto Captain Crozier, labeling him as someone who failed to solve the problem.

The punishment also serves as a warning to others. The aircraft carrier is deployed in the Western Pacific Region as frontier deterrence. The Navy said Crozier's move "raised concerns about the operational capabilities and operational security of the ship that could have emboldened our adversaries to seek advantage."

How the Navy handled the incident revealed that it shared a similar mindset with the U.S. government in handling the pandemic. They are incompetent in preventing and controlling the spread of the virus, spending more time and energy on covering up the truth. What happened to Captain Crozier reminds people of what Dr. Helen Chu had gone through.

In January, Dr. Chu issued an early warning of the virus outbreak in the United States. When she submitted test results to the regulatory body in February, she and her team were told to stop testing for the coronavirus entirely. After the media reported what Dr. Chu had encountered, the authorities tried to blame others.

Emphasis on self-interest rather than people's lives has blurred the focus of the U.S. government's counter pandemic efforts. The bureaucracy in the country's decision-making system, including the military, is the main culprit in delaying the country's response to the pandemic.

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Personal Note: Sorta puts things into perspective from a foreign view of Trumps decision and the US Navy Dept. Sorta leaves a bad taste in the mouths of many. The skipper got the attention he needed for his men coming back into port. This virus is deadly and I'm sure the ship didn't have all the appropriate measures to take care of so many sick. Small living quarters with 80 to 100 men in a space at times plus going to Chow-Call can spread this virus to many sailors quickly and overrun sickbay capabilities.

Boats