Captain Crozier was fired as the Commander of the USS Theodore Roosevelt on Thursday, April 2, four days after he pleaded for help as the Coronavirus threatened his Crew.

He wrote a well-thought out, detailed, and factual Request For Assistance after other requests were not receiving timely responses. His letter was absent of emotion, drama, or manipulation. He made the challenges clear, and provided a detailed plan. As each day continued, the number of positive Coronavirus tests multiplied exponentially. He didn’t have the luxury of waiting. And anyone onboard a Nuclear Powered Aircraft Carrier is well aware that slow decisions and reactions cost American lives. 

Captain Crozier’s Crew demonstrated their appreciation and loyalty to him as they applauded and cheered and chanted his name as he disembarked, with his head held high, from the USS Theodore Roosevelt.

At the present time, 255 Sailors from the USS Theodore Roosevelt have tested positive for the Coronavirus, including Captain Crozier. That’s 5 percent of the Crew, an alarming number, in a short span. If he didn’t take the actions that he did, many more could be infected, or worse yet, dead. The US Navy has invested a great deal of money and resources to ensure this exemplary Crew can perform an extraordinary job under very challenging circumstances. And to lose any of them is losing some of the greatest assets in the US Navy. 

Five days after firing Captain Crozier, Acting Secretary of the Navy, Modley, resigned his position. 

The Crew of the USS Theodore Roosevelt, and other active military, veterans, and civilians have expressed their respect of Captain Crozier for the choice he made to potentially sacrifice his career to protect his Crew and do what he knew was right. He would never have been put in the position to lead this ship if he had not shown consistently that he makes sound decisions and leads at an exemplary level. 

Captain Crozier’s Crew aboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt want their Commander back. They trust him, they respect him, and they want to go back out to sea with Captain Crozier leading them.

His Crew deserves for this circumstance to be undone. Since their Commander left the USS Theodore Roosevelt, morale is at an all time low. The former Acting Secretary of the Navy made a wrong decision that needs to be corrected.

The former Acting Secretary of the Navy has only held this position for five months—he hasn’t demonstrated that he had the experience and skill to perform his job well. And the emotion an ego he spewed over the USS Theodore Roosevelt intercoms shows that he doesn’t know how to be logical and make sound decisions—he operates from emotion and ego and enjoyed being power hungry. He should not be allowed to change the history of the US Navy and the USS Theodore Roosevelt. 

Congressmen, Senators, and other Government Officials, including the President of the United States, have publicly considered and questioned he reasons Captain Crozier was fired, and whether it was just. And they have started investigations. People from all over the USA have flooded them with phone calls, emails, and messages over social media. 

Reinstate Captain Crozier to his position on the USS Theodore Roosevelt. He deserves and has proven that he should lead his Crew who want to go back to their jobs with him in Command. 

The US Navy should have great Leaders that their Crew would do anything for because they trust and respect them. If this Crew faces a battle with an enemy, they will not question the orders given to them by Captain Crozier. His Crew know that with him as their Commander, they can face and win any battle they incur, and that he is always focused on doing the best for his Crew. 

Mr. Modley made a hasty decision. An investigation could have been made first. And because he resigned his position, he now realizes that he made mistakes. And we believe it’s a mistake for the USS Theodore Roosevelt to be led by any other Commander. 

It should be decided that Captain Crozier will return to lead the USS Theodore Roosevelt as soon as he has recovered from the Coronavirus, and is healthy to lead.

There are a lot of valuable lessons that can be learned from these past few weeks. Lessons that can, and will, make our military stronger. Lessons that will be learned on so many levels. Current and future military men and women are making major decisions about their military careers based on this unprecedented incident and how it has been handled. 

Reinstate Captain Crozier and return him to his Crew.