The Navy’s top admiral says the crew aboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt are “struggling” and 447 of them are infected with the coronavirus more than a week after their beloved captain was controversially fired.
Vice Admiral Bill Merz visited the ship in Guam Tuesday after the sacking of Captain Brett Crozier, whose memo to Navy brass urging them to evacuate sailors from the ship was leaked to the public.
Merz said the crew deserved better communication about the virus and how the Navy was handling it.
The crew was “upset” because of Crozier’s firing and the subsequent visit from acting Navy Secretary Thomas Modly, who told them Crozier had been “naive” and “stupid,” Merz told CNN. Modly himself resigned after audio of his remarks to the crew was leaked.
“They were visibly still upset about the secretary’s visit so I walked them through what I knew, which really was not much more than what everybody else knew,” Merz said, “I think they just needed to tell somebody about how much that hurt them and disappointed them.”
Merz said the crew was capable and performing well, but clearly working under unprecedented conditions, given the virus and their commanding officer being relieved of duty. They were also worried about Crozier and don’t want him punished, Merz said.
Defense Secretary Mark Esper has said he is not ruling out the possibility that Crozier could be restored to command.