Tuesday 7 April 2020
The latest unbelievable episode in the USS Theodore Roosevelt saga
Let us imagine a scenario that couldn't possibly happen, or I should say, shouldn't ever happen: the top civilian official in the US Navy who had fired the commanding officer of an aircraft carrier for "poor judgment" over the spread of coronavirus among his crew, flies out to Guam to address the crew, presumably having in mind a boosting talk to make sure their morale stays high, and then, through the tannoy system, complains that the skipper Captain Brett Crozier was either very stupid or very naive for writing a letter which painted the dire circumstances faced by the warship. And by the way, the "stupid or naive" Captain Crozier has himself caght the virus. That couldn't happen, right? Well it did!! Just like that. I have already blogged that I found it outrageous for the commanding officer of the USS Theodore Roosevelt to be sacked for trying to let everyone know the crisis he was facing. Now I have no hesitation in saying that the acting US Navy Secretary, one Thomas Modly should be fired or he should resign. It is beyond belief that having sacked Crozier for the letter which was leaked to the San Francisco Chronicle and publicised worldwide, he felt the need to fly all the way to Guam where the carrier had moored in order to shower insults on Captain Crozier in front of the members of the 4,800 crew still on board. One sailor tweeted that Modlyspoke with a whingeing whiny voice. Crozier had been a popular skipper and when he walked off the ship the crew gave him three rousing cheers. Now here was the man from Washington calling their captain stupid. It seriously beggars belief. What the hell does Modly think he was doing to a crew already suffering from low morale as a result of the coronavirus on board and the sudden sacking of their boss? Modly was supported by Mark Esper, US Defence Secretary, when he decided to fire Crozier, and he waS also, though reluctantly, supported by Admiral Michael Gilday, Chief of Naval Operations. Gilday wanted an investigation to be held before any decision to fire Crozier. But he agreed with the decision when Modly who has the ultimate power to fire people in the Navy declared he no longer had confidence in Crozier's leadership. One of the things that no doubt was pissing off Moldy was that he was not on the distribution list for Crozier's admittedly outspoken and risky letter. It was circulated to about 30 people but not to Modly. The first he knew about it was when it appeared in the San Francisco Chronicle. Oh yes, that must have really put his back up. Nevertheless, that's no reason for him to jump on a plane and head for Guam to address the crew in such a disgracefully petty way. Later, presumbaly after he got a phone call from a high-up in Washington he apologised for his choice of words and said Crozier was brave and passionate and he, Modly, didn't mean to upset his family. Now who is talking about poor judgment? No wonder Trump said that he might intervene and get it sorted out. The first thing to sort out is to get rid of Modly. He is only "acting" Navy Secretary. Now he should stop acting and go!
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