Article

2020-04-03 -Signs, Portents, and the Weather-

US Navy Relieves Skipper of the USS Theodore Roosevelt

Archived material is restricted to Rantburg regulars and members. If you need access email fred.pruitt=at=gmail.com with your nick to be added to the members list. There is no charge to join Rantburg as a member.

Posted by Besoeker 2020-04-03 00:00|| || Front Page|| [12 views ] Top

#1 It will be some time before we can tell if it was our country's version of Breaker Morant(1980) -- someone that embarrasses the high command must get the axe to make a statement.

Posted by magpie 2020-04-03 01:37|| 2020-04-03 01:37|| Front Page Top

#2 We have known from the quarantine of the Diamond Princess ship at a Japanese port that once an outbreak starts on a ship the passengers must be evacuated to prevent further transmission.
What was the delay in action to disembark and properly isolate to prevent the needless transmission of the highly contagious covid 19 virus?

Posted by boomerc 2020-04-03 03:05|| 2020-04-03 03:05|| Front Page Top

#3 He allowed shore leave knowing the disease was in port. Then leaks his demands to some 20 others trying to fix his mistake. While the sailors come first, his ass should come last.

Posted by Woodrow 2020-04-03 03:28|| 2020-04-03 03:28|| Front Page Top

#4 These vessels are surely tracked by the Russians, Chinese, Iranians, possibly all three and more. How difficult would it be to have 'comfort girl' vectors pre-positioned and isolated ?

Posted by Besoeker 2020-04-03 04:16|| 2020-04-03 04:16|| Front Page Top

#5 Readiness status of deployed carriers is classified. He violated opsec.

Posted by Penguin_of_the_Desert 2020-04-03 04:17|| 2020-04-03 04:17|| Front Page Top

#6 Excellent point POTD. Due to politics, Foggy Bottom diplodinks, etc., the skipper may have not had any control over events. He could have 'bet his bars' on this one.

Posted by Besoeker 2020-04-03 04:22|| 2020-04-03 04:22|| Front Page Top

See comment #4 in this thread.

Posted by Herb McCoy 2020-04-03 06:24|| 2020-04-03 06:24|| Front Page Top

#8 Herb, you're an idiot. The Skipper has the last word on his command. Regardless of the "guidelines" he is expected to exercise command judgement where is ship and crew are concerned.

Granting shore leave was a stupid mistake on his part.

Posted by Shavimp Snore6137 2020-04-03 09:52|| 2020-04-03 09:52|| Front Page Top

#9 Still not sure how a supercarrier would be unprepared for a major virus incident when that would have been one of the only tactics enemies could use to take one out.

Posted by rjschwarz 2020-04-03 10:21|| 2020-04-03 10:21|| Front Page Top

#10 Stavaridis is going to bat for the guy. Always a warning flag as far as I'd concerned.

Posted by M. Murcek 2020-04-03 10:23|| 2020-04-03 10:23|| Front Page Top

#11 Seriously, start watching for this phenomenon and you'll see it all the time.

Hammer >> nail

Posted by M. Murcek 2020-04-03 10:24|| 2020-04-03 10:24|| Front Page Top

#12 Why the USS Roosevelt’s Captain Had To Be Relieved

Posted by g(r)omgoru 2020-04-03 10:27|| 2020-04-03 10:27|| Front Page Top

#13 There is a chain of command even at his exalted level and it absolutely does not include the SF Chronicle and/or somebody likely to leak the memo to them.

Shore leave was a bad decision. Dealing with bad decisions, both your own and others' are part of being in charge. Crying to the media like some hapless bitch is most decidedly NOT a part of being in charge. It is a luxury alternative not available to Infantry soldiers, not in medias res at any rate.

This is appallingly bad behavior and utterly beneath the level of conduct of a man entrusted with a carrier battle group. Perhaps he can self isolate at Diego Garcia for a couple or four years while his discharge papers are put in order.

Posted by Cesare 2020-04-03 11:12|| 2020-04-03 11:12|| Front Page Top

#14 Excellent points Cesare. Out of an abundance of caution, the skipper could have diverted or changed course prior to reaching Da Nang. Don't know if that would have prompted a relief, but floating a memo to the media was certainly a bad choice and career ender.

Posted by Besoeker 2020-04-03 11:21|| 2020-04-03 11:21|| Front Page Top

#15 The Chinese have been talking for years about how to knock out our CVN's. They finally got one.

Posted by Matt 2020-04-03 11:22|| 2020-04-03 11:22|| Front Page Top

#16

The capitan sent the memo to persons outside his chain of command via what the AP called “a non-secure, unclassified email.”

This IS stupid

Posted by European Conservative 2020-04-03 11:26|| 2020-04-03 11:26|| Front Page Top

#17 Ref #15: Cruise ships may have been the beta test. The USS Roosevelt port call, a bonus event.

Posted by Besoeker 2020-04-03 11:26|| 2020-04-03 11:26|| Front Page Top

#18 These ships are designed to "repel",guard against biological attack, meaning seleted compartments can be isolated and put on "positive" pressure via the ventilation systems...there were options,but it would be a compromise to ship operations..

Posted by crazyhorse 2020-04-03 12:01|| 2020-04-03 12:01|| Front Page Top

#19 Thanks Besoeker, I was not a Navy guy so I hesitate to comment. But I find this transparent attempt at a public/media life line for a screw up beneath contempt. The argument that 'they wanted to go on shore leave' frankly makes my anatomy crawl. At some point, somebody somewhere has to be an 'effing adult.

Posted by Cesare 2020-04-03 12:24|| 2020-04-03 12:24|| Front Page Top

#20 https://www.defenseone.com/threats/2020/04/us-sailors-pour-aircraft-carrier-and-isolation-guam/164287/

Posted by newc 2020-04-03 13:25|| 2020-04-03 13:25|| Front Page Top

#21 Gen. Milley on Navy removal of aircraft carrier captain over COVID-19 letter

Posted by Skidmark 2020-04-03 16:28|| 2020-04-03 16:28|| Front Page Top

#22 It's one thing to write a CYA memo. It's another to use the media to drop it on your boss's head.

Posted by M. Murcek 2020-04-03 19:37|| 2020-04-03 19:37|| Front Page Top

#23 /\ Bingo! It would be interesting to find out who has been shepherding Captain Crozier's career in the past, hmmm? Leaking a CYA memo is not what you would expect of someone entrusted a CVN.

Posted by magpie 2020-04-03 20:28|| 2020-04-03 20:28|| Front Page Top

23:55 Seeking Cure For Ignorance
23:54 Seeking Cure For Ignorance
23:34 trailing wife
23:15 trailing wife
22:33 Lex
22:31 Lex
22:08 Skunky Grogum4362
22:02 Skunky Grogum4362
21:39 SteveS
21:31 CrazyFool
20:58 Thimp Clusort2035
20:55 Thimp Clusort2035
20:55 Rambler in Virginia
20:54 Shock Ominese5736
20:51 SteveS
20:42 Frank G
20:28 magpie
20:09 3dc
19:46 M. Murcek
19:37 M. Murcek
19:12 Airandee
19:11 Lex
19:09 g(r)omgoru
19:08 Airandee