New York Times:
The Navy Fired the Captain of the Theodore Roosevelt. See How the Crew Responded
The rousing show of support provided another gripping scene to emerge from the coronavirus pandemic: the rank and file cheering a boss they viewed as putting their safety ahead of his career.
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Capt. Brett E. Crozier addressing the crew of the aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt in November Credit - U.S. Navy, via Reuters |
WASHINGTON — It was a send-off for the ages, with hundreds of sailors aboard the aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt cheering Capt. Brett E. Crozier, the commander who sacrificed his naval career by writing a letter to his superiors demanding more help as the novel coronavirus spread through the ship.
The rousing show of support provided the latest gripping scene to emerge from the coronavirus pandemic: the rank and file shouting their admiration for a boss they viewed as putting their safety ahead of his career.
The memes were quick to sprout on social media. On Reddit, one depicted Captain Crozier forced to choose between rescuing his career or his sailors from a burning building; he chooses his sailors.
The rousing show of support provided the latest gripping scene to emerge from the coronavirus pandemic: the rank and file shouting their admiration for a boss they viewed as putting their safety ahead of his career.
The memes were quick to sprout on social media. On Reddit, one depicted Captain Crozier forced to choose between rescuing his career or his sailors from a burning building; he chooses his sailors.
On Twitter, a slew of videos showed Captain Crozier’s walk down the gangway in Guam, most of them depicting him as a hero struck down by his superiors for trying to save the lives of his crew. “Wrongfully relieved of command but did right by sailors,” wrote Twitter user Dylan Castillo, alongside a video of Captain Crozier leaving his ship.
But in removing Captain Crozier from command, senior Navy officials said they were protecting the historic practice that complaints and requests have to go up a formal chain of command. They argued that by sending his concerns to 20 or 30 people in a message that eventually leaked to news organizations, Captain Crozier showed he was no longer fit to lead the fast-moving effort to treat the crew and clean the ship.
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WASHINGTON – Videos posted on social media showed a huge send-off for Navy Capt. Brett Crozier, the commander of an aircraft carrier who was ousted Thursday after sending a letter pleading with Navy leadership to protect his crew from the spreading coronavirus. One video from the Facebook account of Michael Washington shows hundreds of service members on the hangar deck of the USS Theodore Roosevelt, which is currently docked in Guam, chanting "Captain Crozier! Captain Crozier!" and clapping. Someone in the video says, "and that's how you send off one of the greatest captains you've ever had," and adding "The GOAT [Greatest Of All Time], the man for the people." USA Today |
But in removing Captain Crozier from command, senior Navy officials said they were protecting the historic practice that complaints and requests have to go up a formal chain of command. They argued that by sending his concerns to 20 or 30 people in a message that eventually leaked to news organizations, Captain Crozier showed he was no longer fit to lead the fast-moving effort to treat the crew and clean the ship.
His removal from prestigious command of an aircraft carrier with almost 5,000 crew members has taken on an added significance, as his punishment is viewed by some in the military as indicative of the government’s handling of the entire pandemic, with public officials presenting upbeat pictures of the government’s response, while contrary voices are silenced.
The cheering by the sailors is the most public repudiation of military practices to battle the virus since the pandemic began. At the Pentagon, officials expressed concern about the public image of a Defense Department not doing enough to stay ahead of the curve on the virus.
Notably, the defense of the firing offered by senior Pentagon officials has centered around Captain Crozier not following the chain of command in writing his letter, which found its way to newspapers. In a circuitous explanation, Thomas B. Modly, the acting Navy secretary, said that Captain Crozier’s immediate superior did not know that the captain was going to write the letter, offering that act as an error in leadership and one of the reasons the Navy had lost confidence in the Roosevelt captain.
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After Outcry Over Navy Captain Relieved Of Command, Assurances He Won't Be Expelled In a tweet reacting to Crozier's removal, Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Mass., also had sharp words for the Navy's leaders. "I learned on my first day in the Marines that having the courage to speak truth to power is grounds for respect not grounds for relief," said the former Marine officer and Iraq war veteran who sits on the House Armed Services Committee. "This is far from the first time in the last several years that Congress is going to have a lot of questions for Navy leadership—on leadership."WPRL 91.7 FM |
Notably, the defense of the firing offered by senior Pentagon officials has centered around Captain Crozier not following the chain of command in writing his letter, which found its way to newspapers. In a circuitous explanation, Thomas B. Modly, the acting Navy secretary, said that Captain Crozier’s immediate superior did not know that the captain was going to write the letter, offering that act as an error in leadership and one of the reasons the Navy had lost confidence in the Roosevelt captain.
But a Navy official familiar with the situation but not authorized to speak publicly about it said that the captain had repeatedly asked his superiors for speedy action to evacuate the ship. His letter, the official said, came because the Navy was still minimizing the risk.
Mr. Modly insisted that his firing the captain for writing a letter asking for more help does not mean that subordinate officers are not allowed to raise criticisms and ask for assistance. “To our commanding officers,” Mr. Modly told reporters on Thursday, “it would be a mistake to view this decision as somehow not supportive of your duty to report problems, request help, protect your crews, challenge assumptions as you see fit.”
But the removal of Captain Crozier will likely have a chilling effect on the willingness of commanders to bring bad news to their superiors.
“There’s no question they had the authority to remove him,” Kathleen H. Hicks, a former top Pentagon official in the Obama administration, said in an email. “The issue is one of poor judgment in choosing to do so. They are fueling mistrust in leader transparency, among service members, families, and surrounding/hosting communities.”
Ms. Hicks, who is now at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, added that the episode “lays bare the broader incompatibility in the Defense Department’s dual-track approach of attempting to tightly control and centralize its strategic communications at the same time it has adopted a highly decentralized approach to combating the coronavirus.”
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Sailors Gave Their Captain A Resounding Farewell When The Navy Fired Him After His Vocal Concerns About The Coronavirus Outbreak On His Ship More than 86,000 people have signed a Change.org petition demanding Crozier be reinstated as the commanding officer of the USS Theodore Roosevelt. "He is a hero who should be rewarded," the petition said. BuzzFeedNews |
Ms. Hicks, who is now at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, added that the episode “lays bare the broader incompatibility in the Defense Department’s dual-track approach of attempting to tightly control and centralize its strategic communications at the same time it has adopted a highly decentralized approach to combating the coronavirus.”
Representative Ruben Gallego, Democrat of Arizona, is a former enlisted Marine who saw heavy combat in Iraq. In an interview Friday, he described the Navy’s actions in firing Captain Crozier as “dangerous.”
“For the men and women on the Roosevelt and across the Navy, the message is this,” Mr. Gallego said. “If the commander is looking out for you and doesn’t go about it the right way he’s going to get punished. It’s dangerous, it’s going to impact morale and retention rates.”
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I actually have a New York Times subscription, mainly for business reasons.
ReplyDeleteI don't care for their politics.
From November 2016, they have been on a 7 days a week x 52 weeks a year campaign to denigrate Donald Trump.
I don't think Donald Trump is a good US President, but he is no monster, which is what large swaths of the US press is determined to make it out to be.
Illegitimately elected (according to the New York Times) , during the months leading up to this Coronavirus crisis it was 24 x 7 Impeachment , which New York Times was every day calling for Trump to be booted out. It was like What Coronavirus ? as far as New York Times was concerned.
They accused the decision to bar visitors from China as Racist.
Etc etc.
NYT was caught too often twisting facts and worse, fabricating outright lies. Those outside of the good olde US of A, non Americans, don't give 2 fucking hoots the ding-dong-ing between the Democrats and the Republicans...other than wishing these two parties would burn themselves to a fiery crisp and let the world be at some relative peace.
ReplyDeleteSee one example of the detailed deconstructing of the lies, deceptions and outright barefaced lies of the antics of the bullshitting NYT :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-19Q1tyhhw
Nathan Rich did a pretty good job of stuffing it to NYT...enough is enough.