Navy officials are recommending the aircraft carrier ship commander who was fired last month after sounding the alarm over a coronavirus outbreak on his ship be reinstated, officials familiar with the investigation said Friday.
Adm. Mike Gilday recommended that Navy Capt. Brett Crozier be returned to his ship, said the officials, who spoke to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity to discuss the results of an investigation that have not yet been made public.
Crozier was removed from the USS Theodore Roosevelt earlier this month after he sent a letter to Navy leaders pleading them to quarantine the crew who were displaying symptoms of COVID-19, which was leaked to the media.
Gilday met with Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, on Tuesday and with Defense Secretary Mark Esper on Friday morning to lay out his recommendations. An official says Esper has asked for a delay in any public announcement while he considers the recommendation.
Earlier in the day, Esper’s chief spokesman Jonathan Hoffman had suggested that Esper was going into the matter with an open mind, and said “ he is generally inclined to support Navy leadership in their decision.”
Crozier was dismissed by Acting Navy Secretary Thomas Modly who, in a leaked speech, ripped the captain’s leadership and called him “too naive or too stupid” to be in command.
After audio of the speech emerged online, President Trump came to Crozier’s defense, saying he simply had “a bad day” and Modly resigned the following day.
At least 230 sailors on the USS Theodore Roosevelt, including Crozier, tested positive for COVID-19 after the boat docked in Guam.
— with AP