WASHINGTON: A US Navy commander of a coronavirus-stricken aircraft carrier, Brett Crozier, who was recently fired, was given a rousing farewell by the sailors. Some videos showing massive support from the ship’s crew for the fired Navy captain of the US aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt appeared on social media on Friday, reflecting a growing outcry over his dismissal by Navy officials this week.
The videos, which were posted on Facebook and Twitter, showed Brett Crozier addressing the crew members amid loud cheers of support from them. Captain Brett Crozier was relieved of his command of the Theodore Roosevelt on Thursday after a scathing letter in which he called on the Navy for stronger action to halt the spread of the virus aboard the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier was leaked to the media.
Acting US Navy Secretary Thomas Modly said on Friday that the fired commander of the US aircraft carrier is being reassigned while investigators consider whether he should face disciplinary action or not. Modly said in a TV interview that the letter was shared too widely and leaked before even he could see it.
Meanwhile, more than 120,000 people had signed a petition calling on the US Navy to reinstate the captain of a coronavirus-stricken aircraft carrier a day after he was relieved of his command for a letter sent to superiors urging stronger measures to halt the outbreak.
"His actions possibly saved many lives," the online petition said. "Although he was fired, his plan to safely remove crew members was still implemented. He is a hero who should be rewarded." The backlash to Modly’s decision to fire Crozier had been intense. In videos posted online, sailors on the Theodore Roosevelt applauded Crozier and hailed him as a hero, out to defend his crew - even at great personal cost to his career.
"And that`s how you send out one of the greatest captains you ever had," exclaimed one sailor in a video post, amid thunderous applause and cheering for Crozier as he left the carrier and its 5,000 crew members in Guam.
Modly did not suggest that Crozier`s career was over, saying he thought everyone deserved a chance at "redemption." "He`ll get reassigned, he`s not thrown out of the Navy," Modly said. Democratic presidential front-runner Joe Biden accused the Trump administration of poor judgment and said Modly "shot the messenger."
The dismissal, two days after the captain`s letter leaked, demonstrated how the coronavirus has challenged all manner of US institutions, even those accustomed to dangerous and complex missions like the military.
His removal could have a chilling effect on others in the Navy seeking to draw attention to difficulties surrounding coronavirus outbreaks at a time when the Pentagon is withholding some detailed data about infections to avoid undermining the perception of US military readiness for a crisis or conflict.
In his four-page letter, Crozier, who took command in November, described a bleak situation aboard the carrier as more of his crew began falling ill.
He called for "decisive action": removing more than 4,000 sailors from the ship and isolating them, and wrote that unless the Navy acted immediately it would be failing to properly safeguard "our most trusted asset - our sailors." The letter put the Pentagon on the defensive and alarmed the families of those on the vessel, whose home port is in San Diego.
President Donald Trump, when asked about the captain during a White House news conference on Thursday, disputed the notion that Crozier appeared to have been disciplined for trying to save the lives of sailors.
"I don`t agree with that at all. Not at all. Not even a little bit," Trump said.
(With Agency Inputs)
