The New York Times confirms that Navy officials have recommended reinstating Captain Brett Crozier, USS Roosevelt captain, after investigation, but Defense Secretary Mark Esper is still weighing the findings. No announcement expected today. Navy officials met Esper Friday.
Esper will now review the full report and meet again with Navy leadership “to discuss next steps,” said Jonathan Hoffman, the defense secretary’s spokesman. He did not mention a timeline for the follow-up meeting.
Reinstating Crozier as the nuclear-powered carrier’s skipper would be a rare move for a commanding officer publicly relieved of command. But the fallout from the decision, made by former acting Navy Secretary Thomas Modly, has left the service facing a significant backlash.
Does Crozier deserve to be Reinstated?
He violated the UCMJ and ignored the Chain of Command. He should have been relieved from his command. Crozier sent the email to approx 20 people via an unsecured email system. There are secure networks on board his ship and has direct contact with the White House. He knew it would be leaked, and he wanted it to be in my opinion.
This Captain went outside the chain of command and by doing so put the ship and his crew in more danger by telling all of our enemies where the ship was and that it was out of commission trying to battle onboard Covid-19.
Morally and Ethically Right?
However was he wrong morally by trying to save his crew from the coronavirus. That’s what he should have done, right? Did he undermine the confidence of the Secretary of Navy?
His sailors were at risk and he was the one standing up for them. He did the only honorable thing possible. Burying heads in the sand in the face of a pandemic is for the terminally foolish. Those who took the decision to relieve him of his command have probably never served aboard.
This is tricky because do you take a legal approach or a moral one?