Carrier Captain Torpedoes National Security

In the last week there has been some media attention regarding the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on military readiness, including the Defense Department’s suspension of virtually all domestic and international travel by military personnel. Clearly, our military operations are not exempt from the viral impact.

But one particular story — a letter written by the now-former Commanding Officer of the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt and published in the San Francisco Chronicle — received widespread attention. In that letter, CAPT Brett Crozier bemoaned the impact of the virus on his crew and pleaded for the Navy to take “decisive action” to stem its spread. While his concern for his crew was laudable, choosing to communicate his concerns and sensationalist tone in a way that was certain to end up in the public domain was not.

The media praise for Crozier was misguided, and he was appropriately relieved of his command.

News of his “re-assignment” was met with media accusations of a cover-up and praise for his great bravery in bucking the system. But Crozier wasn’t fired for speaking truth to power, as many would have you believe. He was fired for losing his cool in a high-pressure situation and improperly disclosing sensitive information — readiness status for a deployed, strategically significant asset. We’re not questioning the sincerity of his concerns for his crew, but his loss of composure raises serious questions about his fitness to command one of our nation’s premier war-fighting platforms.

Acting Secretary of the Navy Thomas Modly made things clear in his statement about Crozier’s actions: “As I learned more about the events of the past week on board USS THEODORE ROOSEVELT (CVN-71), including my personal conversations with the Strike Group Commander, Commander, SEVENTH Fleet, Commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet, the Chief of Naval Operations, and CAPT Crozier himself, I could reach no other conclusion than that Captain Crozier had allowed the complexity of his challenge with COVID breakout on the ship to overwhelm his ability to act professionally, when acting professionally was what was needed most. We do, and we should, expect more from the Commanding Officers of our aircraft carriers.”

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