Hundreds of sailors were seen cheering and clapping to honor the Navy captain who got fired after raising coronavirus alarm following dozens of infections on his ship.
Captain Brett Crozier, who commanded the USS Theodore Roosevelt, was relieved of command after sending a “non-secure unclassified email,” which was later leaked to the media, to several recipients to warn about the situation on the vessel and the need for immediate action.
Following the coronavirus outbreak on USS Theodore Roosevelt, the ship had been stationed at a Guam port whereas nearly one hundred sailors tested positive for COVID-19 as of last Wednesday.
While some 1,000 people were quarantined on land, Captain Crozier urged his superiors to isolate the entire crew of 5,000 sailors to flatten the curve of infections.
Following the leaked letter, Acting Navy Secretary Thomas Modly condemned the captain’s actions and accused him of “extremely poor judgment.”
“I have no doubt in my mind that Captain Crozier did what he thought was in the best interest of the safety and well-being of his crew,” he said.
“Unfortunately, it did the opposite. It unnecessarily raised the alarm of the families of our sailors and Marines with no plans to address those concerns.”
While the captain may have been relieved of command following the incident, the sailors clearly feel grateful for what he did.
In an emotional sendoff, a large crowd of sailors was seen cheering and clapping as the former captain walked away.
“Heartbreaking. He’s relieved of duty after raising the alarm that his carrier is infected by the virus. And the navy folks are GRATEFUL. There’s a hero,” one Twitter user wrote after the video of the cheering crowd went viral.
The send off for Captain Brett Crozier who was relieved from duty for TRYING TO SAVE THE LIVES OF HIS CREW pic.twitter.com/EEDG1U3rYE
— Danny Ocean (@The_UnSilent_) April 3, 2020
Responding to the superiors’ decision was also a group of sailors who forged the following statement:
“Modly has broken faith with the crew of the USS Theodore Roosevelt. There was nothing alarming or sensationalist in Capt. Crozier’s letter.
“It was simply a recitation of the bleak facts facing this warship. Capt. Crozier has the full faith and confidence of this crew, who would sail with him again at a moment’s notice.”
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Replaced!