Navy removes USS Theodore Roosevelt captain

[OceanBonfire]

Navy Identifies USS Theodore Roosevelt Sailor Who Died of COVID-19

Aviation Ordnanceman Chief Petty Officer Charles Robert Thacker Jr., 41, of Fort Smith, Arkansas, assigned to USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71), died from COVID-19 April 13 at U.S. Naval Hospital Guam.

Thacker tested positive for COVID-19 March 30, was removed from the ship and placed in isolation on Naval Base Guam. On April 9 (local date), Thacker was found unresponsive during a daily medical check and transferred to Naval Base Guam via ambulance where he was placed in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).


https://www.navy.mil/submit/display.asp?story_id=112672

 

[CBH99]

Four more sailors test positive.

https://www.stripes.com/news/navy/four-more-uss-theodore-roosevelt-sailors-hospitalized-for-the-coronavirus-1.626022

The CNO thinking  of reinstating Capt Crozier. Admiral if youre gonna stick your neck out, just promote the fellow and get the episode behind the Navy.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/navy-may-reinstate-fired-captain-to-command-of-roosevelt/ar-BB12GB7h?ocid=spartanntp

The best thing the US Navy could do at this point to save their image & their integrity is to simply admit wrongdoing, and correct it.  Period.

All it would take is for the US Navy to say something along the lines of "The CO was looking out for the well being of his crew, which is his top priority during peacetime.  Our organization didn't respond the way we possibly should have, and in fact this situation wasn't handled particularly well at all.  We expect our sailors to conduct themselves with a high degree of professionalism, and we need to lead by example.  So on that note, we admit that we could have done better, will learn from this situation and do better in the future, and will be reinstating Captain Crozier."

Boom.  Done.


His career is saved.  The US Navy saves face.  The sailors are able to regain a degree of trust with the senior leadership.  And the matter is dealt with, with integrity.

^^ Just follow Jocko's TED talk.  Good advice for anybody, anywhere.    :2c:

 

[Colin Parkinson]

Meanwhile

https://gcaptain.com/france-defends-handling-of-aircraft-carrier-coronavirus-outbreak/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Gcaptain+%28gCaptain.com%29&goal=0_f50174ef03-8153a934bb-139922301&mc_cid=8153a934bb&mc_eid=c9f44d7f09

By John Irish PARIS, April 17 (Reuters) – France defended its handling of the spread of the coronavirus through its flagship Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier fleet, after more than a 1,000 sailors tested positive for the disease.

Of the 2,300 sailors in the carrier group, 1,081 had so far tested positive with about 300 results still to be finalized.

Twenty-four crew were in hospital, including one in intensive care, and 545 showing COVID-19 symptoms were being monitored.

 

[tomahawk6]

Fifty of those affected were US Navy personnel on exchange.

 

[FJAG]

Fifty of those affected were US Navy personnel on exchange.

My reading of the Navy Times article is that two of the original 50 sailors found to have the virus were Americans (there are many more sick sailors since then)

https://www.navytimes.com/news/your-navy/2020/04/15/2-us-sailors-on-french-carrier-test-positive-for-covid-19/

However, there were only ever four US sailors on the ship.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-04-18/france-investigates-coronavirus-cluster-on-charles-de-gaulle/12161156

:cheers:

 

[tomahawk6]

I reread the article and found I was wrong about 50 USN personnel being on board CDG. Is that why I was warned ? Again my apologies.

 

[FJAG]

Good, thought-provoking article:

The Theodore Roosevelt episode was no isolated incident, but a portent of worse to come

https://www.militarytimes.com/opinion/commentary/2020/04/18/the-theodore-roosevelt-episode-was-no-isolated-incident-but-a-portent-of-worse-to-come/?fbclid=IwAR09tN9yW21MXcPvhz9xX-xOTFNwh0aeII7h1UAzy6yBBh-AztrY-ietmBY

:cheers:

 

[OceanBonfire]

Instead of creating a new thread, I'd put this here and suggest this thread should be retitled "COVID-19 in the US military".

Exclusive: U.S. Navy destroyer in Caribbean sees significant coronavirus outbreak

A U.S. Navy destroyer is believed to have a significant coronavirus outbreak on board as it carries out a counter-narcotics mission in the Caribbean, U.S. officials told Reuters on Friday, marking the latest challenge for the military in dealing with the virus.


https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-usa-navy-exclusive/exclusive-u-s-navy-destroyer-in-caribbean-sees-significant-coronavirus-outbreak-officials-idUSKCN2262CP

 

[Baz]

https://news.usni.org/2020/04/23/26-navy-battle-force-ships-have-had-covid-19-cases

https://news.usni.org/2020/04/24/pentagon-confirms-18-covid-19-cases-on-deployed-uss-kidd-destroyer-heading-to-port

 

[tomahawk6]

Navy Recommends reinstatement of Capt Crozier. A wrong would be righted here.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/navy-recommends-reinstating-captain-of-coronavirus-stricken-aircraft-carrier/ar-BB139TKQ?ocid=spartanntp

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Navy's top officials recommended Friday that the captain relieved of duty after sounding the alarms of a growing coronavirus outbreak aboard an aircraft carrier should be reinstated.

The decision to reinstate Navy Capt. Brett Crozier's command of the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt sits with Secretary of Defense Mark Esper. The Pentagon boss, who was briefed on the recommendations following a U.S. Navy investigation, has yet to sign off on the reinstatement of the captain. He is expected to make a decision Friday.

 

[jeffb]

Has a reinstatement of a relieved Capt ever happened before? Especially to the same ship?

 

[tomahawk6]

Not to my knowledge has a relieved CO been reinstated. I think the relationship with the TF commander was strained so he may be reassigned.

 

[Remius]

Has a reinstatement of a relieved Capt ever happened before? Especially to the same ship?

USS Enterprise.  On most versions of the series.  ;D

 

[dimsum]

USS Enterprise.  On most versions of the series.  ;D

Well played, good sir.

 

[tomahawk6]

During Vietnam a BG who commanded a separate brigade was fired and later on he was given a second star. I guess he knew the right people because most often being relieved is terminal to one's career.

 

[stellarpanther]

https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory/naval-destroyer-uss-kidd-reports-rise-virus-cases-70349858?cid=clicksource_4380645_2_heads_hero_live_headlines_hed

 

[FJAG]

Navy delays Crozier decision, launches broader investigation into carrier COVID-19 outbreak

The acting Navy secretary said Wednesday he has ordered a broader investigation into the circumstances of the spread of the novel coronavirus aboard the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt, effectively delaying a decision on the Navy's recommendation that Capt. Brett Crozier be reinstated as the ship's commander.

The announcement of a broader investigation comes days after the Navy’s top leadership had recommended the unprecedented step of reinstating Crozier to command of his ship, and Defense Secretary Mark Esper requested the written results of the Navy’s initial inquiry.

“After carefully reviewing the preliminary inquiry into the events surrounding the COVID-19 outbreak aboard USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71), the Chief of Naval Operations, Adm. Mike Gilday, provided me with his recommendations," said James McPherson, the acting Secretary of the Navy in a statement.
...

https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/navy-delays-crozier-decision-launches-broader-investigation-carrier/story?id=70404055&cid=clicksource_4380645_2_heads_hero_live_headlines_hed

:cheers:

 

[OceanBonfire]

Exclusive: Too risky to come home, crew of 'clean' U.S. warship in coronavirus limbo

On any given day, the U.S. aircraft carrier Harry S. Truman can be found off the Atlantic coast of the United States, probably somewhere between Virginia and Florida. Its crew would love to come home to their families. But they can’t. They’re just too valuable right now.

That’s because the Truman is a “clean” ship, free from the coronavirus thanks to a longer-than-expected deployment at sea that started in November. The deployment has kept its battle-ready 4,500 crew out of reach of a pandemic that is wreaking havoc elsewhere in the Navy.

Captain Kavon “Hak” Hakimzadeh and members of his crew described to Reuters in exclusive interviews the mixed emotions of being so close to home, but too precious to pull into port, as the Truman settles into a pandemic-driven operational limbo.


https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-usa-warship-exclus/exclusive-too-risky-to-come-home-crew-of-clean-u-s-warship-in-coronavirus-limbo-idUSKBN22D53A

 

[tomahawk6]

Captain Crozier has a new assignment in California on the staff of Naval Air Forces. He will be working for a Vice Admiral. I hope this assignment works out. The guy should be promoted but this is the Navy so redemption is a foreign concept.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/fired-aircraft-carrier-captain-brett-crozier-takes-navy-job-in-san-diego/ar-BB13L74x?ocid=spartanntp

Web site Naval Air Forces

https://www.public.navy.mil/airfor/Pages/homepage.aspx

 

[OceanBonfire]

Sailors on sidelined carrier get virus for second time

Five sailors on the U.S. aircraft carrier sidelined in Guam due to a COVID-19 outbreak have tested positive for the virus for the second time and have been taken off the ship, according to the Navy.

The resurgence of the virus in the five sailors on the USS Theodore Roosevelt underscores the befuddling behavior of the highly contagious virus and raises questions about how troops that test positive can be reintegrated into the military, particularly on ships.

All five sailors had previously tested positive and had gone through at least two weeks of isolation. As part of the process, they all had to test negative twice in a row, with the tests separated by at least a day or two before they were allowed to go back to the ship.

...


https://apnews.com/0cae34376380ab4150002a58bd9934b9

https://www.navytimes.com/news/your-navy/2020/05/15/five-theodore-roosevelt-sailors-re-test-positive-for-covid-19/