People are still scratching their heads. Why was Captain Brett Crozier fired? This well-qualified navy man commanded the nuclear-powered carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt This warship’s commanding officer has a great weight upon his shoulder’s. The ship, equipment, and aircraft cost over $20 Billion. The ship’s compliment is made up of over 4,800 men and women.
I was drawn into this story, perhaps initially from my own service in the United States Marine Corps. I’ve always taken pride in my father having been the air-boss on the USS Ticonderoga during the Viet Nam War. And, of course, in my novel, First Spouse Of The United States , my protagonist is stationed aboard a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier during the Iran-Iraq war.
Headlines trumpeted the firing of Captain Brett Crozier about four weeks ago. He was being relieved of command for sending a five-page letter (memorandum) to his superiors demanding protection from Covid-19 for his 4,800 person crew.
It was reported the letter, an email, was sent to 30+ people. Some say the captain indirectly leaked it to the media by distributing it in such a manner that it would certainly be leaked to the press. Then there are those that say he only sent it to 3 or four individuals. A recent navy investigation revealed that it was sent to 10 officers, not all of whom are in his chain of command.
What about the chain of command? The chain is the military’s order of hierarchy. Orders are passed down the chain. Important Information flows both down and up the chain. Protecting the integrity of the ‘chain’ is vital to maintaining discipline and mission integrity. No chain is stronger that its ‘weakest link.’
Acting Secretary of the Navy Thomas Modly relieved Capt. Crozier of command on April 2nd. It was reported the reason for doing so was for the captain having “raised alarm bells unnecessarily” and “showed extremely poor judgement.”
It is important to note that Captain Crozier was showing symptoms of the virus when still in command of the USS Theodore Roosevelt. Following his dismissal, he was diagnosed with Covid-19. He has remained in isolation on Guam since the diagnosis.
We know now that Modly overstated the number of people who had received the email. It is also the consensus of many in the military that Crozier may have over-reacted and not handled the situation well. Specifically, he should have limited his addresses to his chain of command. Why is this important?
The former acting Secretary of the Navy was forced to resign following inappropriate remarks made while addressing the crew of the aircraft carrier.
Plagues since ancient times have impacted wars and civilizations. At the onset of the Peloponnesian War in 430 BC, Athens lost almost 5000 men to an unidentified plague. The bubonic plague in 541 AD killed millions and is thought to have initiated the decline of the Roman Empire. Mongol Kahn Yanibeg in 1346 had ‘Black Death’ infected corpses hurled over city walls into a Genoese trading port. Ships carrying goods and travelers to Europe brought with them a plague that wiped out one-third of Europe’s population. Kind of like China sending their people around the world to celebrate the Lunar New Year, knowing full well some people had been exposed to Covid -19.
Enemies attack one another when they feel they can win. Masking one’s vulnerabilities reduces the probability of attack. There are some who think that China knowingly let the Coronavirus spread to weaken other countries, particularly the United States.
Captain Crozier did not strictly adhere to his chain of command when sounding the Coronavirus alarm aboard ship. The USS Theodore Roosevelt is one of the lynchpins for our nation’s protection in our Pacific fleet. If any of our carrier task forces are not perceived to be at full capacity, it widens the possibility for military aggression. Captain Crozier’s choice of dissemination, though certainly well intentioned, had consequences. Not strictly adhering to the chain inadvertently exposed a military weakness.
Our nation is at war with the Coronavirus. We are, in my opinion, on the precipice of another ‘cold war’ This time it is not with an undercapitalized and unimaginative foe. It is with China. China is racing toward military and economic world domination. China facilitated the spread of the virus by its many duplicitous actions and inactions. Aware of the virus, China cornered the world market on protective equipment. It then resold the lifesaving equipment at high prices. China holds America hostage by threatening to cut off our one major source of antibiotics and protective equipment. China is not our friend.
How and why was the memorandum ‘leaked’ to the media? America has foes within and without. There are those that will do whatever they can, regardless of the long-term consequences, to divide our country. As a side note, Ancient Rome was destroyed from within.
The lesson we should take away from Captain Crozier’s experience is that it is our individual responsibility to think of ‘big picture’ and consider the ramifications of our actions. Our military leaders must always follow regulations. Regulations exist for a reason.
As the ancient Chinese general Sun Tzu is credited with saying, ‘Know thy enemy and know yourself…’
The United States has enemies. The Coronavirus is just one of them…
JRSTRAYVEJR
www.jrstrayvejr.com
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