Sailors Praise Navy Captain Who Was Fired For Speaking Out About Coronavirus Outbreak
US Navy sailors on board the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt celebrated their former Captain, Brett Crozier, who was let go after speaking out about a Coronavirus outbreak onboard the ship.
“Captain Crozier! Captain Crozier!” the sailors can be heard chanting in a video from his send off.
“That’s how you send out one of the greatest captains you ever had,” someone else said. “The GOAT greatest of all time, the man for the people.”
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Many can be seen cheering and waving goodbye to the captain on his final departure.
“We as a crew really just stood their at attention waiting for [captain] to depart,” a sailor on the USS Theodore Roosevelt told Business Insider. “It was a very emotional feeling, and as he was transiting we were saluting him off.
“Once he was on the brow of the ship, we all crowded the brow applauding and chanting his name because he really meant a lot to us.”
Capt. Brett Crozier, commander of the Theodore Roosevelt, was removed from his position after a letter he wrote asking for help, ended up outside his chain of command. The letter apparently leaked to the press.
“The responsibility for this decision rests with me,”Acting Navy Secretary Thomas Modly said. “I expect no congratulations for it and it gives me no pleasure in making it. Captain Crozier is an honorable man who, despite this uncharacteristic lapse of judgment, has dedicated himself throughout a lifetime of incredible service to our nation, and he should be proud of that.”
Crozier’s letter ended up being published by the San Francisco Chronicle and said that “the spread of the disease is ongoing and accelerating.” He urged the Navy to take actions because “Sailors do not need to die.”
There is no evidence to suggest that Crozier leaked the letter, but Modly suggests allowing it to breach his chain of command was poor judgement.