US Defense Secretary Mark Esper said Thursday that the ousted captain of the USS Theodore Roosevelt could be reinstated and that he’ll be the one to make the call, according to a report.
Speaking on the “Today” show, the defense chief said an investigation was finished last week into the April 2 dismissal of Navy Capt. Brett Crozier, who was canned after raising concerns about coronavirus on his aircraft carrier, NBC News reported.
He added that the findings are now under review and will ultimately land on his desk
“It will come to me at some point in time,” Esper said. “As I am in the chain of command, I can’t comment on that further, but I got to keep an open mind with regard to everything.”
Navy officials reported earlier that Crozier could be reinstated.
“We’ve got to take this one step at a time, let the investigation within the navy conclude itself,” he said. “And we’ll make very reasoned opinions and judgments as this progresses.”
Crozier lost his command after his pleas for help due to an outbreak of coronavirus on the vessel were picked up by the press and went public. More than 600 crew members on the carrier tested positive for the COVID-19 bug, including Crozier. At least one crew member died from the virus.
Then-acting Navy Secretary Thomas Modly accused the captain of a “betrayal of trust” — only to later apologize for the harsh language.
Modly offered his resignation on April 6 and it was accepted by Esper.
The Theodore Roosevelt has been docked in Guam since March 27. The Navy said last week that 92 percent of the ship’s 4800 or so crew members had been tested for the virus.