Navy probe to decide future of fired U.S. carrier commander

[Eugene]

Source: Reuters

U.S. APRIL 3, 2020 / 10:49 AM / UPDATED 2 HOURS AGO

Exclusive: Navy probe to decide future of fired U.S. carrier commander

Idrees Ali, Phil Stewart
5 MIN READ

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Even as he is hailed as a hero by his crew, the fired commander of a coronavirus-stricken U.S. aircraft carrier is being reassigned while investigators consider whether he should face disciplinary action, acting U.S. Navy Secretary Thomas Modly told Reuters on Friday.

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.

Modly said in an interview that the letter was shared too widely and leaked before even he could see it.

But the backlash to Modly’s decision to fire Crozier has 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.

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Modly did not suggest that Crozier’s career was over, saying he thought everyone deserved a chance at “redemption.”

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Read more: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-usa-navy-exclusive/exclusive-navy-probe-to-decide-future-of-fired-u-s-carrier-commander-idUSKBN21L28Q