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Witness Statement of USS THEODORE ROOSEVELT (CVN 71)
Combat Direct Center Officer
On 1 1 May 2020 I was interviewed in connection with a command investigation concerning
chain of command actions with regard to COVID-19 onboard USS THEODORE
ROOSEVELT (CVN 71) via telephone.
What follows is a true and accurate representation of my statement for this investigation.
Witness Name: CDR ■HI
Position: CDCO
Command: USS THEODORE ROOSEVELT Department/Division:
Operations
Email Address: 03) (®)
Phone(s): (k)
I am in isolation at the Guam High School isolation site in Guam. I went into isolation on 28
April after a positive COVID test onboard TR after having no symptoms. I recently tested
positive again after 12 days of isolation and will test again in 96 hours according to current
protocol. Test results typically take 3-4 days to receive from the lab in Korea.
Before our port visit to Da Nang, we had much of the same information that was publically
available to rest of the world via the internet and TV. However, COVID was just breaking out
when we left on deployment and since it was a new disease, there wasn’t a lot of definitive
information available. At that time, I believe COVID was portrayed as a highly contagious
version of the flu. Initially, Sailors were told to follow good hygiene protocol - wash hands
often, avoid touching faces, clean common areas - to prevent the spread of the virus. Anyone
displaying symptoms was encouraged to go to medical.
There wasn’t a panic or scare on TR due to the growing world interest. Leadership took
appropriate action and talked considerably about the COVID risk prior to visiting Da Nang. I
was actually part of the advanced team that set up the port visit, so I flew to Da Nang twice prior
to TR pulling in. The first time was in February and the second time was about one week prior to
TR’s arrival. During the coordination meetings, Vietnamese government officials were
concerned with the possibility of TR/BKH bringing COVID into Vietnam. There had previously
been 14 reported cases in Vietnam, but Da Nang did not have any active/current cases, and
Vietnam did not want to potentially (re)infect its citizens during the port visit. Likewise, TR
believed that since the ship would be underway for almost a month before its arrival in Vietnam,
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Subj: Witness Statement of CDR (b) (6)
, USN
it could guarantee a COVID free ship and minimize any transmission hazard.
During preparations, planners cancelled most of the events that would draw large crowds.
Additionally, event participation was limited to group sizes of around 30 people. One exception
was the Big Top reception planned to be hosted in TR’s hangar bay and flight deck. A mix of
government officials, military leaders, industry and civilian leaders were invited to the reception.
On the day of the reception, weather prevented the event from being conducted on the ship (sea
state was too rough for the liberty boats). There was an audible to move the reception to the
Golden Bay Hotel. At Golden Bay, guest screening (temperature checks and verbal symptom
questionnaire) was in place at the hotel entrance. Planners originally expected 500 people to
attend, but the actual attendee count ended up being closer to 250. Guest attire was military
Summer Whites (or equivalent) or civilian business casual. The majority of attendees did not
wear masks, which was the observed nonn for guests and employees inside of the hotel. Food
was served buffet style using small plates.
At the pier, there was a temperature scanner that all sailors had to walk through when departing
the pier. The Vietnamese supported us to take precautions. At that time, fever was thought to be
one of the major symptoms so there was significant emphasis around Vietnam to monitor body
temperatures. Additionally, all sailors were briefed about reporting any other symptoms (e.g.
cough, runny nose, etc.) Forehead thermometers were used on Sailors returning to the ship. I do
not believe we had any issues with anyone having a temperature departing or returning to the
ship.
Around the ship, basic hygiene measures were in place. In February, we had a round of double
dragon, so hygiene measures were well socialized and being practiced in places like the galley.
Prior to Vietnam, I do not recall any social distancing measures in place or a requirement to wear
masks.
After the port visit, people exhibiting COVID-like symptoms became a real thing on TR.
Sometime around two weeks after Da Nang, TR instituted more health measures such as 6’
social distancing. The ship tried to follow CDC social distancing guidelines in the chow lines
by putting tape on the floor to maintain 6’ separation. Hand sanitizer was available and used by
crew members when getting food. In the wardroom, CS’s served much of the food to minimize
the number of people touching the serving utensils.
The timeline for the implementation of more stringent COVID prevention guidelines reflects the
assumption that the ship was clean after the month-long period at sea (prior to Vietnam).
Additionally, to the best of my knowledge, nobody exhibited symptoms after Vietnam during the
first week underway. Social distancing and other virus mitigations grew as the possibility of
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Subj: Witness Statement of CDR (b) (6)
, USN
COVID onboard grew.
As soon as people started showing symptoms and tested positive, we knew we needed to put
them into isolation. We also expanded monitoring and testing of close contacts from berthings
and work centers. It all happened very quickly. When we started testing, we learned that people
could be COVID positive without exhibiting symptoms. Now, there are many different COVID
symptoms so it is often hard to determine what is caused by COVID and what is not.
For cleaning, I believe we had a waiver to use bleach on the ship. We started wiping down
common surfaces as often as possible. TR instituted bleachapalooza, which was a version of
cleaning stations multiple times a day. In the galley, self-serve was stopped.
I know we had safety stand downs and information being passed on Site TV. I don’t believe
people were confused about the guidelines. Even though Sailors expressed their normal
complaining, they were following the rules. I think originally there was pretty high morale on
the ship and everyone was doing their part. For masks, we started out using whatever we had -
cut up t-shirts, flash gear, flight deck bandanas - and eventually got N-95 masks. There was a lot
of enforcement of the rules. If someone broke a rule, they were corrected. Wearing a mask was
not optional. I felt like the crew understood the severity.
The rise in positive cases was like an exponential curve: once we started getting cases, it ramped
up. From what I’ve seen, many people have minor symptoms or no symptoms. Most people are
pretty calm. Several people have family members or friends at home who have contracted
COVID. The disease definitely affects people differently.
When looking for a place to put people in isolation after our first positive tests, there was some
discussion of going to Okinawa. That did not happen - 1 heard that there were not enough beds.
Leadership has been concerned and involved throughout this endeavor. From what I can tell, I
think all of the HODs get along well. TR received a new XO in late February/early March and
outgoing/incoming XOs conducted turnover during Da Nang. It seemed pretty seamless getting
CAPT O3) (6) up to speed and he was ready to go.
As ECC lead, I received many RFI taskers. CSG-9 staff handled a lot of the RFIs but they would
often reach out to the ECC for data. I don’t recall chain of command issues. There were a lot of
people needing a lot of information - numbers on how many COVID positive cases were present,
predictions on how soon we could get back underway, and things like that. I think initially we all
thought this was going to be a quicker process than it has turned out to be. The ECC typically
received RFIs from the battlewatch captain.
Sometimes there were frustrations with frequently changing information and requests for
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Subj: Witness Statement of CDR (b) (6)
, USN
additional information. A lot of times, we had the requested data already collected or at least
partially collected but not in the desired format. It was hard to keep up and we often spent many
manhours pulling information. An example of an RFI that took a lot of time was the high-risk
data for smoking and obesity.
The ECC was stood up in the XO’s Conference Room the day TR pulled in to Guam and was
initially manned by some operations department personnel plus a few others. We quickly
realized we needed to go 24 hours a day. We later received help from CAG/DCAG and
employed the Airwing Squadron COs until they were transferred to hotels. The ECC mapped
out “hotspots” on the ship by using DC charts to plot out the berthings where COVID positive
Sailors slept. At the end of testing, COVID hotspots were all throughout the ship. As we started
figuring out the data that needed to be reported, things got easier. We had a placemat that was
updated daily that streamlined common information. This placemat was sent to the CSG and
CVN leadership and archives can be found on the ship’s sharedrive. Any ECC1 products should
be accessible by current ECC members.
Each isolation site has an OIC. I am the OIC for the Guam High School site. We have twice
daily medical checks and all hands cleaning stations 3 times per week. Everybody is also
responsible for cleaning up after themselves regularly. The ship and base provide supplies, to
include Clorox wipes, broom, hand soap, toilet paper, and paper towels.
I swear (or affirm) that the information in the statement above is true and accurate to the best of
my knowledge, information, and belief.
(Witness’ Signature)
(Date)
Time
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Transcript
Marine Corps Officials Hold a Defense
Department News Briefing on COVID-19 Efforts
MARCH 26, 2020
Marine Corps Commandant General David H. Berger; Sergeant Major Of
The Marine Corps Troy E. Black; Thomas B. Modly, Acting Secretary Of
The Navy; Rear Admiral James Hancock, Medical Officer Of The Marine
Corps
STAFF: Ladies and gentlemen, good morning.
This morning, the secretary will provide remarks, and then we'll field questions by the
commandant of the Marine Corps and sergeant major of the Marine Corps and the medical
officer of the Marine Corps.
Sir?
ACTING SECRETARY OF THE NAVY THOMAS B. MODLY: Okay, thank you.
Good morning. Thanks again for what you do to keep the nation informed and for giving us a
forum to -- to get information out. We appreciate it very much.
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So good morning to all of you, and good morning to General Berger and Sergeant Major
Black. Thanks for being here, and thanks for your leadership of the Marine Corps.
On Tuesday, I spoke to you about our efforts on the Navy side, and today we want to update
you on the measures we are taking within the Marine Corps to mitigate the spread of COVID-
19.
But before I do that, let me just give our latest Navy numbers so everyone's on the same page,
in terms of where we are.
We have a total of 133 COVID-1 9-positive cases in the United States Navy. That's 104 active
duty military, 23 civilians, 16 dependents, and 19 contractors.
I also want to give a quick update on the Teddy Roosevelt, which we spoke about the other
day. We are -- we found several more cases on board the ship. We are in the process now of
testing 1 00 percent of the crew of that ship to ensure that -- that we don't — that we were able
to contain whatever spread might have occurred there on the ship. And -- but I also want to
emphasize that the ship is operationally capable and can do its mission if -- if required to do
so.
So the ship is pulling into Guam. It will be pier-side. No one on the crew will be allowed to
leave anywhere into Guam other than on pier-side. And we are already starting the process of
testing 100 percent of the crew to ensure that — that we've got that contained.
The sailors who have been flown off the ship are currently doing fine. None of them have been
required to be hospitalized because their symptoms are very mild, their aches and pains and
those types of things, sore throats but nothing that required hospitalization. So they're in
quarantine now on Guam.
With respect to the Marine Corps, as of today, we have 44 positive tests for COVID-1 9 within
the Marine Corps; 31 military, five civilian, five dependents and three contractors. We are
continuing to take actions across the force to prevent the spread of the disease, contain any
potential outbreaks and recover the force as quickly as possible.
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We're doing all this across our integrated naval force in partnership with the Joint Force and
our whole-of-government approach. We continue to provide quarantine support at Marine
Corps Air Station Miramar for American citizens returning from home from areas impacted by
the virus.
We provided commanders and supervisors guidance to help personnel and families impacted
by official travel restrictions and delays.
This supplemental guidance will help commanders identify personnel, policies, pay, benefits
and flexibilities to help minimize the risk to Marines, respond to evolving situations and to
ensure the readiness of the force. This guidance covers topics such as alternative places of
duty, telework, leave and liberty along with subsistence, housing, family separation, temporary
living and restriction of movement allowances.
General Berger recently published a white letter to all commanders and senior enlisted leaders
describing our expectation of commanders and giving them the leeway to make decisions to
preserve the force. And I'll obviously give him some time to talk about that if you - if you'd like
to hear more about that.
To help with social distancing, General Berger also has directed much of the headquarters and
Marine Corps staff to remain at home to telework if they have the capability. Our intent is to
maximize virtual conferences, meetings, classes and telework to alleviate large office crowding
as consistent with the CDC guidance.
We have scaled back or canceled several service-level exercises to include exercises in
Twentynine Palms and our Mountain Warfare Training Center.
We canceled scheduled training with our partner nations to prevent the spread of the virus. We
remain fully transparent in reporting any positive tests on our installations to the local
communities.
In that spirit, I want to confirm that a Marine stationed at the Pentagon tested positive for
COVID-19 on March 24th. Per U.S. Centers for Disease Control guidelines, the Marine is
currently in isolation at his home and will undergo further assessment by health professionals.
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The Marine followed official guidance by isolating himself when his spouse began to show
some symptoms. Once he became ill, he contacted his assigned medical facility. His
workspace has been cleaned by a Pentagon response team and a thorough contact
investigation is currently under way to mitigate risk and to preserve the health of our Marines,
civilians, and families.
The Marine was last inside the Pentagon on March 13th. Two individuals were advised to self-
isolate due to close contact with this individual and the Pentagon, and both those individuals
are currently asymptomatic.
Effective immediately, naval recruiters will temporarily transition to prospecting via digital and
telephone means only. Marine recruiters will not be meeting in person with prospects or with
applicants. Both Marine Corps recruit depots have implemented formal screening measures to
identify possible cases of COVID-19 in recruits upon their arrival to the depot, as well as prior
to traveling to the depot during their in-processing at the military entrance processing stations;
we call those MEPS. Those who present any symptoms receive follow-on assessment to
protect the health of our communities and sustain force health in — force health and
generation. At this time we - we know that at least two recruits have tested positive for the
virus down at Parris Island, but no instructors have tested positive.
Recent test results confirmed also that two Marines stationed at the Marine Corps Recruit
Depot Parris Island, have also tested for COVID-19. Those Marines are already in quarantine
when they were notified of their test results. Both of those Marines worked in offices
independent and separate from the recruit training locations. They are in — as I mentioned, we
just received — received word that there are two confirmed cases of COVID-19 with recruits.
Public graduation ceremonies have been closed to the public until further notice to minimize
the spread of the - spread of the virus to the force and to their families. The depots have also
implemented other health protection measures, to include spatial distancing in common areas
like the chow hall, squad bays, and classrooms. We expect leaders to apply judgment to all
situations and implement force health protection measures in order to preserve the force and
our mission. Our commanders are empowered to take necessary precautions because the
virus is unique to every situation and in every location.
We will continue to assess and modify as needed future global force management for
deployment and redeployment plans for the next 60 days. Today, roughly 37,000 Marines are
forward-deployed or forward-stationed. Those preparing for deployment continue to do so,
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while taking measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
The Marine Corps and our entire integrated naval force remains committed to mission
readiness during this COVID-19 pandemic. We stand ready to answer the nation's call, while
also preserving the force and our communities, and of course, our families.
Thank you. We look forward to your questions.
STAFF: Sir, we'll start on the phone. Bob Burns, Associated Press?
Q: Yes, thank you. Can you hear me?
STAFF: Yes, we hear you. Go ahead, Bob.
Q: Okay, Bob Burns from AP. I have a question for both commandant and the secretary.
General Berger, the secretary just mentioned briefly the reductions and cancellations of
various exercises and training. I'm wondering if you can give a more broad assessment of the
-- the — the degree to which training has been impaired here. Is it, like, given all the restraints,
including the stop movement order from Secretary Esper yesterday, is - is training been
reduced by, say, 50 percent or more?
And then if I could also ask a question of the secretary. You mentioned the 103 active duty
Navy have been tested positive. I don't know precisely the comparison with the other services,
but that seems to be higher than the other services, and I'm - I'm wondering whether there's
an explanation for why the infection rate seems to be higher in the Navy. Thank you.
SEC. MODLY: Well, let me answer that question first, then I'll turn it over to General Berger on
the - the other question about the training piece.
I think we are trending higher. I think some data that I saw this morning showed that we are
probably a third of all the active-duty people that have tested positive are within the Navy and -
- and Marine Corps. I don't have a reason for that. I — I - it would be speculation for me to try
to give you a reason for why that has happened.
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I -- 1 will say that we -- our forces are all over the world, all the time. That may have something
to do with it, and they — we also have big fleet concentration areas such as San Diego and
Norfolk and other areas, where we have a lot of people that are together. But that's all
speculation. We have not done the forensics yet on — on where -- where these individual
sailors contracted the disease, and until we know that, it just wouldn't -- it would be
irresponsible for me to say why we think this is happening.
General Berger?
MARINE CORPS COMMANDANT GENERAL DAVID H. BERGER: Yes. As far as training, I
think -- 1 - I wouldn't -- 1 don't know if 50 percent -- 1 don't know the exact percentage. We
haven't calculated it. I would say, though, that as the secretary mentioned, the - the unique
part about the Navy and Marine Corps team is this is your force in readiness that has to be
ready to respond to a problem around the world, and we've -- we've never been given advance
notice when that'll happen, so we have to be ready all the time.
So the -- the commanders, the guidance to them is pretty clear: Our force has to be ready to
respond when we're given the direction to do so. So you need to conduct a training that's
necessary to maintain your readiness. Now, they have changed the way that they're training
and -- and to a large degree, where there's not large bodies in a close, confined space.
They've spread it out, and they've curtailed some training that was nice to do, good to do, but
not absolutely necessary for their mission-essential tasks.
So they've tailored it, but I think you expect your Marine Corps and - and your Navy to be
ready to go when - when called to do so, and that's what they're training - that's what their
responsibility is.
STAFF: Mike Glenn?
Q: Yes, sir.
About the basic training graduations, when I graduated from basic is was important for my -
my - my parents, it was important for them to be there because I accomplished something,
finally, in my life. How - what are you doing to allow them - allow parents - I mean, are you
putting it on closed circuit, or you know, some sort of videotaping it or something so they can
watch it at home.
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SEC. MODLY: Yeah, they are. You want to answer the rest of that? I know — correct.
Everything is being televised live and recorded both. You -- you want to add anything,
Sergeant Major?
SERGEANT MAJOR OF THE MARINE CORPS TROY E. BLACK: I had a couple tours of - of
depots as a drill instructor, so I — I understand how important that those events are for the
families and — and for the recruits, new Marines that are getting ready to graduate. So this is a
unique time. We're trying to find a unique answer to be able to provide that same sort of
experience. It's not going to be the same as sitting at the bleachers at a graduation. There's
just no way to replicate that, but there is some digital record of it that that's going to be
transitioned with the new Marine, and they'll have that in their - in their capacity to have that.
STAFF: Gina Harkins? Gina, are you there?
Q: Good morning. Thanks for doing this.
So as you know, some of these services, you know, the Navy in particular have taken some
aggressive measures to keep troops from gathering in groups. They're delaying fitness testing,
promotion selection boards, relaxing grooming standards. Is the Marine Corps moving out on
any of those policies? And if not, why not?
GEN. BERGER: I want to address each one individually, but where they make sense, yes.
Things like grooming standards - barber shops in one area may be open, and in another base
they may be closed. So we very much trust the leaders to make those calls, and we've given
them the latitude to waive requirements where it's not practical to meet them. So because the -
- the flu, like other pandemics, is different area to area, region to region, we've not said all
grooming standards are relaxed for a given period of time. But what we have said is all
commanders have the latitude to make adjustments based on what's available at your
location.
I don't know if that answers exactly what you’re asking, Gina.
Q: It does. And what about promotions board meeting, fitness tests?
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GEN. BERGER: Promotion board's pretty fascinating. This is an area where over the last
week, week and a half — and I suppose probably the other service are the same -- looking at
really creative ways for how you would run a promotion board.
Instead of, in other words, everybody being in one room staring at a computer screen
discussing one Marine at a time, we're now looking at either we might have to delay it, or is it
possible to spread across two or three rooms electronically with video teleconference
capability and still be able to have the promotion board run on time, but you would be spread
across multiple rooms.
So it's driving us to be pretty creative. And I -- again -- 1 suppose the other services are doing
the same.
In some cases we'll delay things, in other cases that I think like always, younger leaders are
coming up with really creative ideas for how to -- how to accomplish it but in a different way.
STAFF: Tara.
Q: Thank you. Tara Copp with McClatchy.
I was wondering how boot camp has changed now, or what adjustments have you made with
the personal grooming or is everybody still getting their head shaved? What's going on there?
GEN. BERGER: Everybody's still getting their head shaved as long as the barbers come to
work. But they are -- like here, he's smiling. You probably got the same, right, I imagine?
But there will come that time if it gets worse and worse and worse where barbers won't come
to work. In that case, you know, we'll have to make a decision: Do Marines cut Marines' hair?
Do we make adjustments? And we'll -- the commanders at both of our recruit depots have
thought their way through it.
I think on the preventive side is the -- as the secretary mentioned, those who are going
through the military entrance processing center and then onto Parris Island or San Diego,
they're being isolated for a period of time to have a good look at them, to observe them before
training starts, where normally they would have that period after boot camp -- like I'm probably
sure you did for leave afterwards. We've just moved that to the front end.
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So now, when you get to Parris Island or San Diego, you're in isolation for a period of time so
we can observe and make sure everybody's healthy to go to start training day one.
But during training -- 1 don't know if you heard major adjustments during training, Sergeant
Major, let me ask you.
SGT. MAJ. BLACK: Ma’am, that's a great question.
Again, here's my experience in the environment. There are challenges. It's kind of a new
opportunity.
But social distancing is one of the largest hurdles right now in the environment, because it is
closed. However, in our dining facilities, recruits are spread out more than they probably would
be. Inside squad bays, they're spread out more than they normally would be. Hygiene's always
a priority and cleanliness is always a high priority inside of recruit training, because inherently,
no matter what, you bring people from across America, in one close space, there's challenges.
That's a good thing, because there's already a heightened sense of hygiene already in that
environment.
So imagine those things right now and making minor adjustments to the training schedule. But
right now there's no significant impacts to what that product is at the end, which is a U.S.
Marine.
Q: And then as a follow up, have any of the Marine Corps cases been aboard ships?
GEN. BERGER: None that I know of. There might be, but none that I'm aware of yet. No.
Q: And then if I may one last one, Mr. Secretary, for Navy personnel on the ships that tested
positive, how did you get the tests to test the entire ship? And where are those tests going now
to be processed?
SEC. MODLY: So on the carriers, on -- on the large-deck ships we have the capability to test
in a lab there on the ship. So that's, sort of, our limiting factor right now: they can process
through a certain number a day. And so we are looking at ways now to not only test —
maximize that capacity on the ship to test, but also to send some of those swab tests out to
some of the other DOD labs for - for testing.
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STAFF: Shawn Snow? Shawn, are you there?
Q: General Berger, thank you for doing this.
I was wondering if you could address this idea that there's a general sense that the Marine
Corps is not being a responsible stakeholder.
Pictures are still flowing in of large-scale mass formations, rifle ranges are still ongoing,
exercises still kicking off as far as I know, 3/1 still has a large-scale ITX slated at Twentynine
Palms in April, and barber shops on Marine bases are still open in states with stay-at-home
orders.
How much readiness is impacted by the Corps just simply staying put for a couple months or
altering its training to use more virtual trainers or academic classes? Thank you.
GEN. BERGER: I think it's the — if the pictures look different to you, Shawn, if they look
unique, it's probably because it's true, the Marine Corps is unique. And we are mandated by
law to be the nation's most ready force, and that's what I think you expect us to be.
The exercise you referred to at Twentynine Palms — I'm not sure where you're getting your
information from — will not go in April, and we made that decision a couple days ago. So again,
I'm not sure where you're pulling your information from but it may be dated a day or two.
The training that we do have to do - for example, like the sergeant major said, at recruit
training or officer candidate training, some of that is absolutely necessary and everything from
where they live to martial arts training, some of that is pretty close and up personal .
But we're very confident that both the - the leadership that supervises that training and the
medical capabilities needed to respond to it are all in place.
All the right measures, I'm confident, are being taken. And the right exercises are either - the
exercises are either being postponed or canceled completely.
STAFF: Megan Eckstein.
Q: Yes. Thank you very much.
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A clarification first, and then a question for the both of you. You mentioned earlier that there
was some modifications taking place to training events that are going forward, just to allow for
social distancing. I wonder if you had any examples you could share.
And then for the both of you, I know that the Marine Corps is obviously going through some
major efforts right now with the Integrated Naval FSA as well as the Force Design 2030 effort.
And I wonder how those are being impacted whether it's, you know, an inability to do
wargaming and simulation efforts or just, you know, challenges with budgeting folks
teleworking, just any impacts that you might be seeing?
BERGER: I think in terms of training, I'm trying to think of a good -- kind of a visual example
where you could picture it in your mind, but I would say on something like a pistol range,
where all of us might be this close to each other, lined up on a pistol range on a detail, they'll
spread them out now, just like we are in this room, and maybe run more relays than they
would normally run to keep a spread between Marines where -- where they can.
If it's a live-fire exercise, okay, you can only do so much to moderate social distancing when
you're moving down-range. So each type of training, commanders taking the measures they
can that make sense. But also making sure that their units are ready, are trained and ready to
go.
The second part of your question, on force design — and I'll turn it over to the secretary, but no
impact to that. That's — we're not going to spend time talking about it today, but the quick
answer is no impact to that planning that I know of. It's just a little harder to do electronically
and it's distributed but not stopped, I don't think. You know, that's --
SEC. MODLY: No, as you know, Megan, that's a good question.
And we — we've been pretty aggressive at trying to look at this over the last several months.
And the deputy secretary is now leading an effort to look at the overall force structure, which
we are participating in, obviously, as well as the new carrier study that I launched a couple
weeks ago, as well as sort of looking at our 355-plus plan and how we're going to do all that.
All that work is continuing. And actually a lot of that work sort of lends itself to it not having to
be in the same place. So I think that's fine.
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And the bigger concerns I have, sort of — is sort of the budget development process. Because
as you know, we do that well in advance. And I think we're still trying to get our arms around
what are the impacts of this virus going to be in terms of readiness that we're going to have to
make up. So I think that's the only thing. But, you know, we're working this all in real time and
no one's stopped.
Q: Okay. I know all those efforts require, you know, heavy modeling and simulation efforts with
some of the computer labs that are set up at DOD facilities. Can that still take place now?
SEC. MODLY: Well, that's going to be — that's going to be the bigger part of the challenge, I
think. You know, we're integrating with the War College on this as well. They're - basically
have all gone virtual right now, so we're going to have to think through how we do all that.
O: Okay, thank you.
STAFF: — Politico? Politico, Lara, are you there?
O: Hi, sorry. Can you hear me?
STAFF: Yes.
O: Okay, great. Thanks — thanks for doing this.
I was wondering if you could tell me, the secretary earlier this morning in an interview, Reuters,
was saying that he was going to — the Pentagon's going to stop providing such granular
information on the coronavirus.
I'm just wondering how this applies to the Navy. Are you still going to be giving us updates on
the number of people who are getting tested on the ships, as you've currently been doing, and
how many cases you've been having on the ships and in these - these hotspots?
SEC. MODLY: Well, I think we're trying to be as responsive and transparent as possible in this.
I think it's important that people understand where we are, how it's impacting us. But there -
we have to balance that against operational concerns as well as privacy concerns.
H-4-110
So we're trying to develop the balance on that. It had been our policy not to really discuss
where -- what ships were impacted, but obviously the information about the T.R. came out and
we felt it was responsible for us to come out and give you all the straight story about what's
happening there.
So we will follow the direction of the secretary of defense in terms of -- in terms of this, but
from our -- from our perspective, from my perspective, being as transparent as possible is
probably the best path.
STAFF: Jennifer?
Q: Secretary Modly, if I could follow up on what you said about tests on ships being available
and labs on ship. I thought that we were told, 24 hours ago, that there weren't labs on ships,
that they had to do the -- the testing, the swab testing and fly those off to labs on land. Has
that changed?
And do you have the ability now, on all ships, to not only test -- you have enough swab kits —
but you also can put them through labs on board the ships?
SEC. MODLY: So, Jennifer, I think this is just --
MEDICAL OFFICER OF THE MARINE CORPS REAR ADMIRAL JAMES HANCOCK: Sir, yes.
Thank you for the question.
Yes, no, we -- we do fly them off and they go en masse. We're working with industry, really, to
answer that question. We would like a point-of-care testing, as you know, as well as our
civilian counterparts. But we're just not there yet. What we can do is do surveillance testing.
So we do it across the ship, so we know that.
As you guys know -- Force Health Protection's not new to us. The coronavirus is a novel virus.
Viruses are not novel to the Navy and the Marine Corps. We do this every day, that's the
reason that we're being responsive to it. Thank you.
Q: But just to follow up, when you say that you're going to test all 5,000 people on board the
Roosevelt, those will be swab tests or surveillance testing?
H-4-110
SEC. MODLY: It's going to be a -- let me answer this one, because I just had a -- a call with --
with our medical people on this. It's going to be a combination of whatever we have available
for us to do that.
And my understanding, we'll have to get you a more precise answer to that question. I know
the small ships don't have the ability to test on board. But it's my understanding that on the
larger ships, we do have the ability to do some limited testing on board. But that --
Q: Limited, so are you short of test swabs on board something like the T.R. Roosevelt?
SEC. MODLY: T.R. has approximately 800 kits on board. We're flying more on there today as
we speak. So, they will have more brought in to help solve this problem.
Q: Okay.
And, General Berger, just in terms of the barbershops being open, you're still bringing barbers
from outside the bases into -- from civilian community into the Marine bases to cut hair. And is
that really a good idea?
GEN. BERGER: It varies base to base, as the last week has shown, where they've going from
health protection condition A to B to C. Now countrywide in C. It has -- it has varied base to
base.
Is it a good idea? We keep the commissaries open, keep the exchanges open, keep as many
functions as we can to support the families. And we are planning, though, like the other
services are, to reach a point where they don't come to work, it's not safe to do so. And then
we'll make adjustments.
STAFF: Sylvie, you'll get the last question with AFR
Q: Hello. Thank you. This is Sylvie Lanteaume from AFP.
I -- 1 understand -- this is a question for the secretary.
I understand the Mercy is scheduled to arrive in Los Angeles on Friday. What about Comfort?
Where do you expect it to arrive in New York?
H-4-110
SEC. MODLY: Well, we've -- we've — thanks for the question.
We've accelerated the plan for Comfort. We had been originally been looking at April 3rd, but
in all likelihood she's going to be getting underway this weekend. So hopefully she'll be there
in New York by the early part of next week.
Q: Monday? Tuesday?
SEC. MODLY: Yeah, I'd rather not give a firm date on that. So - but, we're -- I'm actually going
to be going down there to the ship either tomorrow or Saturday. So sometime after that she'll
be leaving.
And it will all depend on her transit time and how well she's functioning on the -- on the -- on
the route up there, but I would say within a couple days of that.
Q: Can I ask one clarification on your response on the testing aboard the Roosevelt?
So, does the Roosevelt have the ability to process the tests or are those tests being flown off?
I'm — I was confused by the initial response and then the clarification.
SEC. MODLY: So -- so what was explained to me this morning is that there is some limited
ability to do testing on the ship itself.
Q: To process - to not only swab, but process them?
SEC. MODLY: Yes. Yes. Yes.
Q: Okay.
And then can you tell us how -- you said several more sailors had tested positive or were
being -- can you give us a number, how many there were?
SEC. MODLY: There were three initial. There were five more that were flown off the ship or in
the process of being flown off the ship. And then there are several others that are in isolation
right now.
H-4-110
But as I said, the ship is going to be pulling into Guam and then they're going to figure out from
there who needs to come off, who needs to -- who can stay on, looking at the level of
symptoms and things like that.
STAFF: Any final remarks --
Q: Guam was where the initial sailors were or -- because you all -- you all were a little, sort of,
hesitant about saying initially where they went. But it -- it was actually Guam, right?
SEC. MODLY: That's where the ship is going. So, yes.
STAFF: Ladies and gentlemen, thank you very much.
Q: Thank you.
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H-4-110
(b)(6)
LCDR USN VCNO
(USA)
From:
Sent:
To:
Cc:
Subject:
Love, Robert E SES (USA) <§f§P
Thursday, May 14, 2020 3:52 PM
(b)(6)
l@navy.mii>
CAPT USN DNS (USA)
Spedero, Paul C Jr RDML USN USFFC (USA)
FW: Support Requirements
FYSA
Sent with BlackBerry Work
(www.blackberry.com)
From: Love, Robert E SES (USA) <ffijjH^^^J(a)navv.mil>
Date: Monday, Mar 30, 2020, 7:47 AM
To: Haeuptle, Andrew S SES USN DNS (USA) <(b) (6)
Subject: RE: Support Requirements
(S>navv.mil>
I spoke to the skipper yesterday. He seemed like he needed help finding billeting for his sailors. ..still had 4,000 on board.
From: Haeuptle, Andrew S SES USN DNS (USA) <$) (0) | @navy.mil>
Sent: Monday, March 30, 2020 7:47 AM
To: Love, Robert E SES (USA) <(b) (6) @navy.mil>
Cc: Deal, Steven E SES USN (USA) <|b) (6)), @navy.mil>
@navy.mil>; 'Gillingham, Bruce L RADM USN CNO (USA)'
Subject: RE: Support Requirements
;(b)
,<b)
(6)
(6)
@cvn71.navy.mil
CAPT USN UNSECNAV DC (USA)
@mail.mil>
Bob,
PACFLT has a full court press on support to TR. Working with MARFOR PAC, III MEF and other partners.
Andy
From: Love, Robert E SES (USA) <W (“) I @navy.mil>
Sent: Monday, March 30, 2020 7:35 AM
To:H§&)EL :@cvr|71. navy.mil
Cc: Deal, Steven E SES USN (USA) <J>) (®)|[ i@navy.mil>; (b) (6)
<(b) (6) ;@navy.mil>; 'Gillingham, Bruce L RADM USN CNO (USA)^^^B|
Andrew S SES USN DNS (USA) <J)H)H|^^^](®navy.mil>
Subject: Support Requirements
CAPT USN UNSECNAV DC (USA)
@mail.mil>; Haeuptle,
CAPT Crozier,
Thanks for taking time to talk yesterday. We have decided not to visit TR so you can continue to focus on the health and
welfare of your sailors.
What support do you need? Are you still looking for billeting? What else?
How many people have you tested, so far?
1
H-4-111
I'll call you later today.
V,
Robert E. Love
Chief of Staff
Secretary of the Navy
1000 Navy Pentagon
Washington, D.C. 20350-1000
(o)|
SIPR: (b) (6)
(5)navy. smil.mil
"Don't Give Up the Ship"
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pr-woey-sen-sit-we? Any misuse or unauthorized disclosure of pc-waey-sen&i-t-we information may result in civil and/or
criminal penalties. The Privacy Act of 1974 (as amended) (5 U.S.C. 552a) and SECNAVINST 5211.5 apply. If you have
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2
H-4-1 1 1
From: (b) (6) ^^BCAPT USN. USS Theodore Roosevelt
To: (b) (6) CAPT USN VCNO (USA)
Subject: FW: Memo for Record - Failure to comply with NAVADMIN 083_20
Date: Friday, April 3, 2020 9:40:45 PM
Attachments: NAVADMIN 083 20.pdf
I will forward you the emails/reports I discussed with the VCNO. These build
a timeline.
They should arrive in sequence. Trying to avoid the CANES firewall monster.
First one below:
V/R
-Original Message-
Front: (
CAPT USN, USS Theodore Roosevelt
Sent: Saturday, March 28, 2020 6:11 PM
To: Crozier, Brett E CAPT USN, USS Theodore Roosevelt
Cc:|
CMC USN, USS Theodore Roosevelt;
USN, USS Theodore Roosevelt
Subject: Memo for Record - Failure to comply with NAVADMIN 083_20
CAPT
Captain,
I know we have discussed this several times and we are in agreement but I
want to put some of our discussions in writing.
Despite our best efforts to attempt to comply with the intent of NAVADMIN
083/20 aboard ship, we are not in compliance with the direction given.
Specifically, we are NOT using the definition of close contact appropriately
I AW the guidance. Based on current numbers of COVID-19 positive sailors on
board, over 1400 Sailors have had close contact with a person known to have
COVID-19. This number is conservative as it only accounts for shared
berthing and does not take into consideration watch stations, mess deck
contact, shared workspace or personal time. One could make a valid argument
that the tme number of "Close Contact” Sailors is well over 2,000.
Per the NAVADMIN, "personnel in close contact must remain at home or in a
comparable setting for 14 days from the day of departure of contact. For
transient personnel and those residing in close quarters such as
unaccompanied housing OR SHIPS, temporary lodging meeting CDC guidance or
SEPARATE SLEEPING AND BATHROOM FACILITIES SHALL be arranged, when
available." While we were underway, we could not reasonably comply with
this guidance. We attempted to segregate sailors who should be quarantined
in separate sleeping facilities (single room) in open bay berthing. Although
our open bay berthing on board does not meet CDC guidance, it was our only
option. We are now in port in Guam. We should be moving as many Sailors as
possible off the ship into separate lodging. Our continued use of group
berthing in port, both on the ship and off (NB Guam Gym, etc) is not in
compliance with the NAVADMIN nor CDC guidance. In fact, based on numbers
gathered by our Emergency Command Center, our segregated berthing plan is
making the rate of transfer worse (You have these numbers) .
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I have attached a copy of the NAV ADMIN and request we attempt to comply with
our responsibilities in paragraph 5. I know you are working closely with
higher headquarter to find an executable solution. What we are doing now is
not working. In fact, data supports our efforts are only making the problem
worse. Recommend ending segregated berthing on board the ship and declaring
the entire crew and embarked staff as "Close Contact." We should allow
Sailors to return to their assigned berthing after cleaning. We should move
as many Sailors as we can to CDC compliant off ship berthing as soon as
possible.
Very Respectfully,
CAPT _ _ , USN
Executive Officer
USS THEODORE ROOSEVELT (CVN 71)
H-4-112
- OFFICIAL INFORMATION DISPATCH FOLLOWS -
RTTUZYUW RHOIAAAOOOl 0832050-UUUU-RHSSSUU.
ZNR UUUUU
R 231957Z MAR 20 MID110000511164U
FM CNO WASHINGTON DC
TO NAVADMIN
BT
UNCLAS
NAVADMIN 083/20
MSGID/NAVADMIN/CNIC WASHINGTON DC/NOO/MAR//
SUBJ/RESTRICTION OF MOVEMENT (ROM) GUIDANCE//
REF/A/DOC/USD/11MAR20//
REF/B/NAVADMIN/OPNAV/212007ZMAR20//
REF/C/DOC/BUM ED/17MAR20//
NARR/REF A IS UNDER SECRETARY OF DEFENSE MEMO, FORCE HEALTH PROTECTION
GUIDANCE (SUPPLEMENT 4) - DEPARTMENTOF DEFENSE GUIDANCE FOR PERSONNEL TRAVEL DURING
THE NOVEL CORONAVIRUS OUTBREAK.
REF B IS NAVADMIN 080/20, NAVY MITIGATION MEASURES IN RESPONSE TO CORONAVIRUS OUTBREAK
UPDATE 3. REF C IS BUMED RETURN TO WORK GUIDELINES FOR CORONAVIRUS.//
RMKS/1. REF A requires that personnel returning from a Center for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC) Travel Health Notice (THN) Level 3 or Level 2 location perform a 14 day restriction of movement
(ROM). During ROM, Service Members should be restricted to their residence or other appropriate
Domicile and limit close contact (within 6 feet or 2 meters) with others. This NAVADMIN clarifies the
definition of ROM, provides amplifying guidance, and delineates responsibilities for execution of ROM.
2. Definitions.
2. a. Restriction of Movement (ROM). General DoD term referring to the limitation of personal liberty
for the purpose of ensuring health, safety and welfare. ROM is inclusive of quarantine and isolation.
2.a.(l) Quarantine. Medical term referring to the separation of personnel from others as a
result of suspected exposure to a communicable disease. For the world-wide COVID-19 epidemic, this
should be imposed on those with no COVID-19 symptoms who have either recently returned from a
high-risk location (CDC THN Level 2 or 3), or have had close contact with a known COVID-19 positive
patient. The current recommended quarantine period is 14 days. Per CDC, quarantine generally means
the separation of a person or group of people reasonably believed to have been exposed to a
communicable disease but not yet symptomatic, from others who have not been so exposed, to prevent
the possible spread of the communicable disease.
2. a. (2) Isolation. Medical term referring to the separation of personnel from others due either
to the development of potential COVID-19 symptoms or as a result of a positive COVID-19 test. Per CDC,
isolation means the separation of a person or group of people known or reasonably believed to be
infected with a communicable disease and potentially infectious from those who are not infected to
prevent spread of the communicable disease. Isolation for public health purposes may be voluntary or
compelled by federal, state, or local public health order.
2.b. Patient (or Person) Under Investigation (PUI). In the case of COVID-19, a PUI is defined as
an individual with either a pending COVID-19 test or for whom a test would have been
ordered/conducted had one been available.
2.c. Self-monitoring. Per CDC, self-monitoring means people should monitor themselves for
fever by taking their temperatures twice a day and remaining alert for the onset of a cough or difficulty
breathing. If an individual feels feverish or develops a measured fever, cough, or difficulty breathing
H-4-112
during the self-monitoring period, they should self-isolate, limit contact with others, and seek advice by
telephone from a healthcare provider or their local health department to determine whether further
medical evaluation is needed.
2.d. Close Contact. Per CDC, a close contact is defined as:
2.d.(l) Being within approximately 6 feet (2 meters) of a COVID-19 case for a prolonged
period of time; the current recommended threshold is 10 minutes. Close contact can occur while caring
for, living with, visiting, or sharing a healthcare waiting area or room with a COVID-19 case, or
2.d.(2) Having direct contact with infectious secretions of a COVID-19 case (e.g., being
coughed on)
3. Applicability. ROM applies to all Service Members, who in the last 14 days have either been in:
3. a. An area with ongoing spread of COVID-19 as defined as CDC designated Level 2 and 3
countries (https:// www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/map-and-travelnotices.html), or
3.b. Close contact with a person known to have COVID-19.
3.c. Per REF A, it is strongly recommended that DoD civilian employees, contractor personnel
and dependents also follow this guidance.
4. Guidance.
4. a. ROM personnel shall be directed to remain at home or in a comparable setting for 14 days
ROM from the day of departure or contact. For transient personnel and those residing in close quarter:
such as unaccompanied housing or ships, temporary lodging meeting CDC guidance of separate sleepin
and bathroom facilities shall be arranged, when available
ng
4.b. When in ROM, personnel shall avoid congregate settings, limit close contact with people and pets
or other animals to the greatest extent possible, avoid traveling, self-monitor, and seek immediate
medical care if symptoms (e.g., cough or shortness of breath) develop.
4.c. Personnel assigned ROM may exit quarters to access laundry facilities, outdoor exercise, and
designated smoking areas; and conduct other routine tasks not in a public setting provided they
maintain social distancing greater than 6 feet from others. Access to messing facilities, stores, fitness
centers and other widely used support services is prohibited.
4.d. For temporary lodging, normal room cleaning services will be suspended during the ROM period.
4.e. For personnel executing ROM in private residence, coordinate with parent command for the
purchase of required food/hygiene items or arrange delivery through other means.
4. f. After completion of ROM, return to work per REF C and Combatant Commander guidance, if
applicable.
5. Responsibilities.
5. a. Parent command Commanding Officer/Officer in Charge shall:
5.a.(l) Ensure screening of personnel for ROM.
5. a. (2) Ensure ROM personnel comply with paragraph 4.
5. a. (3) If temporary lodging is required:
5.a.(3)A. Provide cost orders for ROM personnel. Orders will direct the Service Member to a
ROM status and not TAD to the host installation. Recommend funding for temporary lodging, if required,
be obtained through the Type Commander. This may be accomplished utilizing a General Terms and
Conditions document to avoid issues arising from Service Members not having government travel cards.
5.a.(3)B. Coordinate with installation Commanding Officer for room assignment. It is imperative
that tenant commands inform installations of all personnel in ROM within government facilities (to
include barracks, NGIS, Navy Lodge, PPV family housing, and PPV barracks).
H-4-112
5.a.(3)C. As needed, coordinate messing support with the Commanding Officer where a galley is
available. Arrangements will be made between the parent command and the installation for the
delivery of meals to Service Members in a ROM status.
5.a.(3)D. As required, provide daily support to ROM personnel to ensure meal delivery as well as
health and comfort checks.
5.A.(3)E. Ensure personnel supporting individuals in ROM are trained on the status of ROM
personnel and associated interaction protocols. Close contact is prohibited. PPE is not required.
5. a. (4) If private residence is utilized, coordinate with ROM personnel to ensure all messing needs
are met.
5.b. Installation Commanding Officers shall:
5.b.(l) Account daily for available temporary lodging to support ROM.
5. b. (2) Track all ROM personnel residing in Navy Lodging (unaccompanied housing, NGIS, Navy
Lodge, PPV family housing, PPV barracks) both on and off installation. There is no need for installations
to track tenant personnel in a ROM status in private residence/lodging.
5.b.(3) Provide detailed instructions to tenant commands who require temporary ROM lodging
support.
5.b.(4) If available, coordinate with parent commands to provide take -out meals for delivery to
ROM personnel.
5.b.(5) Ensure temporary lodging staff are trained on the status of ROM personnel and associated
interaction protocols. Close contact is prohibited. PPE is not required.
5.b.(6) Follow CDC guidance for cleaning rooms following the ROM period. Ensure the standards
are the same across all facilities (unaccompanied housing, NGIS, Navy Lodge).
5.b.(7) For the safety of lodging personnel, ensure clear discrete procedures are in place to identify
rooms which are occupied by ROM personnel.
5.b.(8) Ensure fire and emergency services are aware of ROM personnel locations, particularly those
in isolation, and are prepared to respond to medical emergencies with appropriate PPE.
6. Entitlements. Per REF B.
7. Reporting Requirements. Per REF B.
8. ROM FAQs.
Question 1. When placed on Restriction of Movement (ROM), can I travel to locations within the fence
line of an installation to utilize facilities such as the NEX food court or the gym?
Answer 1. No, during the duration of ROM, Service Members must remain in their rooms with the
exception of brief trips to utilize designated smoking areas, walking in the immediate vicinity of the
building (usually within 100 feet), and limiting close contact (within 6 feet) with others. If your facility
contains an in house gym, do not use it.
Question 2. Can I accept food deliveries from various services?
Answer 2. Yes, food must be placed outside the room. Minimize close contact (within 6 feet).
Question 3. Can my family or friends visit me?
Answer 3. Yes, provided they do not enter your room. Conversations should be held with visitors staying
in the passageway outside the room and Service Members in their room. Minimize close contact (within
6 feet).
Question 4. Can I do my laundry?
Answer 4. Yes, but you should coordinate with your command to utilize in house laundry facilities.
H-4-112
Question 5. How do I obtain personal hygiene items?
Answer 5. Utilize the point of contact provided by your command to arrange for purchase of these
items.
Question 6. Will my room be cleaned daily?
Answer 6. No, your room will not be cleaned during your stay. Trash pickup is available by placing your
trash can in the passageway.
Question 7. Is Personal Protective Equipment required for personnel in my vicinity?
Answer 7. No, you should limit close contact (within 6 feet) with others.
Question 8. Can I ROM in open bay barracks or in rooms with shared bathrooms?
Answer 8. No, individuals should be placed in separate lodging (when available).
Question 9. Can I use public transportation if in ROM status?
Answer 9. No, individuals on ROM should avoid crowds and public locations.
Question 10. Can I get off ROM early if I was in close contact to a person with COVID-19, and I feel like I
am not sick?
Answer 10. No, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommends 14 days of ROM from the last date of
exposure to a COVID-19 positive person.
Question 11. What is the difference between quarantine and restriction of movement (ROM)?
Answer 11. Quarantine is a legal public health term used for civilian restrictions and ROM is a military
term being used to identify military individuals who are restricted in their movement, generally to their
residence.
Question 12. Are my family members at risk if I ROM at home with them?
Answer 12. ROM status is a precautionary step to prevent spread to others. Considering this, it is
recommended that while at home in a ROM status, you practice social distancing. This means try to
remain at least 6 feet from other persons, avoid using the same bathroom, or sleeping in the same bed.
Question 13. Can I prepare meals for my family while on ROM?
Answer 13. When in a ROM status, it is recommended you not prepare meals for your family because
the virus is spread through respiratory droplets that can land on surfaces such as food. Ideally, you
should have other individuals prepare food. If you are the only care giver, make sure you are washing
your hands with soap and water for 20 seconds for general food safety. Make sure you cover your nose
and mouth when coughing and wash your hands after using the bathroom.
Question 14. Should I be wearing a mask?
Answer 14. Masks will not protect you from inhaling the virus. The virus is very small and can make its
way through and around the mask. The best way to prevent being infected or infecting others is to
practice social distancing and good hygiene techniques (such as washing your hands regularly with soap
and water for at least 20 seconds, avoid touching your face, avoid sick persons, etc).
Question 15. Do I need to clean my house to CDC standards?
Answer 15. It is recommended you maintain a clean living environment as you normally would. This
includes frequent hand washing, washing clothing and bedding, and wiping down frequently touched
H-4-112
surfaces with a sanitizing wipe or any cleaning product that contains at least 10 percent bleach. The
Environmental Protection Agency has a list of products that have been specifically tested as effective in
sanitizing surfaces.
9. Released by Vice Admiral M. M. Jackson, Commander, Navy Installations
Command.//
BT
#0001
NNNN
V/r,
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other information or analyzed. Receiving persons and agencies are cautioned
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H-4-112
From: (b)(6) <(b) (6) (5>cybercom.mil>
Sent: Wednesday, May 20, 2020 9:06 AM
l
H-4-113
To: (b) (6) CAPT USN NAVY JAG WASH DC (USA) <(b) (6) |@navy.mil>
Cc: Spedero, Paul C Jr RDML USN USFFC (USA) <(b) (6) |@nav^riil>; (b) (6) | CIV USN COMNAVSAFECEN
NOR VA (USA) <(b) (6) @navy.mil>; (b) (6) CAPT USN CNO (USA) <(b) (6) |@navy.mil>
Subject: RE: TR INVESTIGATION
Good morning. This is to the best of my recollection as the events unfolded without the use of a calendar and specific
meetings, dates and times.
During that time, when the office of the CNO was informed that the SecNav/A was calling the ship, which I found out
from COS Love after his initial calls over the weekend to the TR, that COS Lobe had talked to CAPT Crozier personally and
CAPT Crozier had not returned his call. The CNO made it clear to me that CAPT Crozier had leadership in his chain of
command and that he wasn't going to call or believed that there was an immediate need for a call from the CNO to CAPT
Crozier as they were dealing with the issues at hand of TR. CAPT Crozier had several layers of leadership before he
needed a call from the CNO at this time. ..for example- 7th and PACFLEET leadership (Operational Chain of
Command). ..something to that fact from the CNO.
At no time did I contacted CAPT Crozier or the CCSG9 and told him to expect a call from the CNO. Nor did I ever reach
out to PACFLEET and request a call via the CSG or 7th FLT to CAPT Crozier for a call with the CNO. After COS Love told me
that he contacted the ship and expected a call back from CAPT Crozier, COS Love directed me to get in contact of TR and
have CAPT Crozier return his call immediately, which apparently didn't happen. I did make calls to the Quarter Deck and
CAPT Crozier's cell phone and I can't remember if I left a message or I am not sure if his phone received messages. I do
remember getting a hold of either the watch floor at PACFLT or the CSG watch team directing them to get in contact
with CAPT Crozier to have him return a phone call to COS Love. I do not remember when CAPT Crozier called him back.
To my knowledge, and I worked every day in the office of the CNO during COVID-19 during reduced manning, the CNO
office never received a call from CAPT Crozier requesting a phone call with the CNO or from the CCSG-9 or anyone from
CAPT Crozier's team requesting a call to the CNO.
Additionally, the CNO did not make any calls to personnel that had tested positive for COVID-19 from TR or the Navy at
large and made it clear that he would we would only potentially make calls to personnel in hospitals and in the
ICU... (meaning severe cases of COVID-19 or very sick service members) at which the Navy didn't have any at the
time. Most people were positive and recovering at home. ..to the best of my memory right now other than civilian or
contractor personnel working for the Navy.
From my seat, the CNO trusted the leadership in CAPT Crozier's Chain of Command to discuss the immediate issues of
the ship with CAPT Crozier, however, the CNO was following the issues and reporting of the ship very closely. The CNO,
as expected, had numerous phone calls with SecNav/A, VCNO, Navy SG, ADM Aquilino, and senior leadership wrt the TR
status and health of the ship.
Standing by for questions and comments, and if you want to talk to me, my number is below.
V/R,
(b) (6)
Deputy Director, J3 Future Operations
NSTS| _
Comrmjb) (6)
Nl PR: j(b) (6) l@cvbercom.mil
JWICS:(b) (6) | @nsa. ic.gov
2
H-4-113
From: (b) (6) CAPT USN NAVY JAG WASH DC (USA)
Sent: Tuesday, May 19, 2020 6:17 PM
To: (b)(6) <(b) (6) @cybercom.mil>
Cc: Spedero, Paul C Jr RDML USN USFFC (USA) <(b) (6)
NOR VA (USA) <(b) (6) @navy.mil>; (b) (6)
Subject: TR INVESTIGATION
@navy.mil>
@navy.mil>; (b) (6)
CAPT USN CNO (USA) <(b) (6)
CIV USN COMNAVSAFECEN
@navy.mil>
CAPT '
Good afternoon.
I am a member of the VCNO-led TR investigation team. One of the things that the investigation team is trying to
understand are any factors that may have contributed to CAPT Crozier's decision to send the e-mail that contained a
letter which was later published. Shortly before CAPT Crozier sent the e-mail, it is the understanding of the investigation
team that CAPT Crozier may have been expecting a call from the CNO - but the call did not occur for some reason.
Do you recall such a call being scheduled and, if so, do you recall the reason why it did not take place?
A response is requested by COB tomorrow, 20 May 2020. I am standing by if you have any questions or concern. Please,
however, do not discuss the above question or your response with anyone other than a member of the investigation
team.
V/R,
IS
CAPT (b) (6) J, JAGC, USN
Command Investigation Team Legal Advisor
Vice Chief of Naval Operations
O: (b) (6)
C: (b) (6)
Pentagon Room (b) (6)
Washington, DC 20350-1000
3
H-4-113
From:
To:
Cc:
Subject:
Date:
(b) (6) 1 LT USN DCNO N3N5 (USA)
BWC PTGN
■ LCDR USN CNO (USA):
RE: Hot RFI .THEODORE ROOSEVELT RFI
Monday, March 30, 2020 8:12:30 AM
CAPT USN VCNO (USA)
CDR(b)|,
In receipt sir, thank you.
Very Respectfully,
LT (b) (6)
Flag Aide to VADM Phil Sawyer
Pentagon, Room (
Desk: I
Cell:
NIPR: (b) (6)
SIPR: (b) (6)
@navy mil
@navy. smil.mil
- Original Message -
From: BWC PTGN <(b) (6) ^|@navy.mil>
Sent: Monday, March 30, 2020 8:09 AM
To: (b) (6) I LT USN DCNO N3N5 (USA) <(b) (6)
Cc: (b) (6) | LCDR USN CNO (USA) <(b) (6)
CAPT USN VCNO (USA) <(b) (6) J|@navymil>
Subject: FW: Hot RFI. THEODORE ROOSEVELT RFI
N3N5,
@navy.mil>
@navy.mil>; (b) (6)
Phone number for THEODORE ROOSEVELT CO provided by Seventh Fleet:
CAPT Crazier
(5R6)
I have not tested this number.
Very Respectfully,
CDR (b)(6) |, USN
Battle Watch Captain
Navy Operations Center
(b) (6)
Pentagon (b) (6)
E-mail: (b) (6) j @navy mil
- Original Message -
From: C7F ABWC <(b) (6) j@lccl9.navy mil>
H-4-114
Sent: Monday, March 30, 2020 07:47
N <(b) (6)
<(b) (6) a
To: BWC PTGN
Cc: C7F BWC
@navy mil>
@lcc!9 navy
@lcc!9 navy.mil>;
vy mil>; (b) (6)
(b) (6)
CAPT USN, C7F
CAPT USN, C7F
@lcc!9.navy mil>;
Subject: RE: Hot RFI. THEODORE ROOSEVELT RFI
Sir,
CO's contact info:
CAPT Crazier
(POTS)
Very respectfully.
LTJG|b) (6)
Asst. Battle Watch Captain
U.S. Seventh Fleet
Unclassified (b) (6)B@navy mil
Classified (b) (6) @navy. smil.mil
Commercial (Underway) |
Commercial (Homeport) (b) (6)
DSN (U nderway)^^^^
DSN (Homeport) |b) (6)
Tandberg j
VOSIP(b) (6)
J-Dial Extension (b)
DRSN (' '
- Original Message -
From: BWC PTGN fmailh (b) (6) ^|@navymiil]
Sent: Monday, March 30, 2020 8:40 PM
To: C7F ABWC <(b) (6) c@lccl9 navy.mil>
Cc: C7F BWC <(b) (6) @lccl9 navy
@lccl9 navy.mil>;
vy mil>; (b) (6)
(b) (6)
CAPT USN, C7F
CAPT USN, C7F
CPF.CATBWC <(b) (6) J@navy mil>; C7F-CVN-COVID-CAT
Subject: RE: Hot RFI. THEODORE ROOSEVELT RFI
ABWC,
@lccl9.navy mil>;
I@lccl9 navy.mil>
We have a request from CNO’s Office for a phone number for THEODORE ROOSEVELT’S CO. Can you
provide?
Very Respectfully,
CDR (b)(6) , USN
Battle Watch Captain
H-4-114
Navy Operations Center - Pentagon
E-mail: (b) (6) |@navymil
From: C7F ABWC <(b) (6) |@lccl9.navy mil>
Sent: Monday, March 30, 2020 07:12
To: BWC PTGN <(b) (6) | @navy mi1>
(6) @lccl9navyi
Cc: C7F BWC
@lccl9 navy.mil>;
vy mil>; (b) (6)
(b) (6)
CAPT USN, C7F
CAPT USN, C7F
CPF.CATBWC <(b) (b) | @navy mil>; C7F-CVN-COVID-CAT
Subject: RE: Hot RFI. THEODORE ROOSEVELT RFI
@lccl9.navy mil>;
I@lccl9 navy.mil>
Sir,
Response to your RFI is attached.
Standing by for questions or concerns.
Very respectfully.
LTJGl
Asst. Battle Watch Captain
U.S. Seventh Fleet
Unclassified (b) (6)|@navymil
Classified |b) (6^ @navy. smil.mil
Commercial (Underway) (b) (6)
Commercial (Homeport) (b) (6)
DSN (Underway) I
H-4-114
DSN (Homeport) (b) (6)
Tandberg P(6)
VOSIP
J-Dial Extension (b)
DRSN
From: BWC PTGN [maUto (b) (6) @navv mill
Sent: Monday, March 30, 2020 7:36 PM
To: C7F BWC <(b) (6J@lccl9 navy mil>; C7F ABWC <(b) (6)|@lccl9.navy.mil>
Subject: FW: Hot RFI. THEODORE ROOSEVELT RFI
C7F BWC,
See below RFI from VCNO regarding first two sailors to contract COVID-19. Suspense 1130Z.
Thanks.
Very respectfully,
CAPT(b) (6) USN
Battle Watch Captain
Navy Operations Center - Pentagon (b) (6)
National Military Command Center (NMCC)
(b)(6)
RED -
NIPR:
@navy.mil
H-4-114
From: (b) (6) ^ CAPT USN VCNO (USA) <|
Sent: Monday, March 30, 2020 06:28
To: (b) (6) <(b) (6) J@fe.navy mil>
Subject: Hot RFI.THEODORE ROOSEVELT RFI
l@navy.mil>
■ -
In support of a White House prep session at 0800, VCNO needs details of Liberty for the two initial TR Sailors.
If the ship was in port 5-8 Mar, do we know what actual days those Sailors were on Liberty in Vietnam?
And, as I’m thinking through this... do we know if they were struggling with symptoms for a few days prior to
reporting?
Any supporting/additional info would be great.
Folks trying to assess the merits of the 14 day ROM.
If Sailors in town only on 5 Mar and no symptoms until 21 Mar, then a longer ROM could be warranted.
BWC teaching out on the same in a few.
My thanks... will try to call in a bit.
Sent from my handheld...
From: (b) (6)
>
CAPT USN VCNO (USA) <d
l@navy.mil <mailto:l
l@navv.mil>
Date: Sunday, Mar 29, 2020, 5:42 PM
To: Burke, Robert P ADM USN VCNO (USA) <(b) (6)
@ navy. mil <mailto
@navv mil> >
H-4-114
Cc: Sawyer, Phillip G VADM USN (USA) <(b) (6) ■ @navy.mil <mailto j
| CAPT USN DCNO N3N5 (USA) <(b) (6) | @navy mil
<mailto:(b) (6) B@navv.mil> >
Subject: THEODORE ROOSEVELT RFI
Vice Chief - Below provided by BWC. Standing by if you need anything else.
VR/(b)
From: BWC PTGN <(b) (6) J@navy.mil>
17 Jan - departed San Diego on deployment
5-8 March - Port visit Da Nang Vietnam
21 March - first two Sailors show symptoms
23 March - first two Sailors’ tests return positive
Very Respectfully,
CDR (b)(6) ], USN
Battle Watch Captain
Navy Operations Center - Pentagon (
mm
E-mail:
@navy mil
CAPT USN CNO (USA)
From:
To:
Subject:
Date:
RE: TR
Sunday, March 29, 2020 8:37:14 PM
Thanks jb) ...V/R(b)(6)
Sent with BlackBerry Work
(www.blackberry.com)
From: BWC PTGN <(b) (6) ^J@navyjnil>
Date: Sunday, Mar 29, 2020, 8:32 PM
To: (b) (6) “ J| CAPT USN CNO (USA)
Subject: RE: TR
l@navv.mil>
Just in case the number you have did not work:
THEODORE ROOSEVELT CO: (b) (6)
CSG-9 BWC Number (Backup): (b) (6)
Very respectfully,
CAPT (b) (6)
USN
Battle Watch Captain
Navy Operations Center - Pentagon ■ (6) |
National Military Command Center (NMCC)
From:
CAPT USN CNO (USA) <(b) (6)
@navy.mil>
Sent: Sunday, March 29, 2020 20:14
To: BWC PTGN <(b) (6) j@navy.mil>
Subject: RE: TR
We are good. COS has it.
Sent with BlackBerry Work
(www.blackberry.com)
H-4-115
From: BWC PTGN <^j^^^^jjTnav
Date: Sunday. Mar 29, 2020, 7:53 PM
I
To
Subject: RE: TR
CAPT USN CNO (USA)
@navv.mil>
Working it, waiting on a return call from PACFLT.
V/r,
CAPT
Battl
USN
Navy Operations Center — Pentagon
1
From: (b) (6) CAPT USN CNO (USA) <(b) (6)
Sent: Sunday, March 29, 2020 19:34
To: BWC PTGN <(&) (6)|^(5)navy.mil>
Subject: FW: TR
@navy.mil>
BWC,
Please provide the number to the CNO of TR for the SN/A’s office. His import cell might
work too.
Thanks and V/R,
Sent with BlackBerry Work
(www.blackbeny.com)
From: Love. Robert E SES (USA)(b) (6)
Date: Sundav. Mar 29, 2020. 3:52 PM
To:jb) (6) '
@naw.mil>
CAPT USN CNO (USA)
l@naw.mil>
Subject: TR
Do you have a phone number for the CO?
Sent with BlackBerry Work
(www.blackbeny.com)
H-4-115
31 MARCH 2020
We are the physicians and medical professionals of USS THEODORE ROOSEVELT (CVN-71). Our immediate and primary
concern is the safety and well-being of our patients, the Sailors under our care. Our ship detected Novel Coronavirus on
board approximately seven days ago; three days ago we docked at Naval Base Guam. We are at war with COVID-19 and
we are losing. This letter is to make you aware of our situation and to ask for your help.
This is our current situation: the virus is spreading exponentially on the ship. We have over 75 positive cases and rising.
We are attempting to transfer infected Sailors off the ship. We are attempting to isolate the close contacts of infected
Sailors, but at this point every single individual on the ship is a close contact. We continue to eat in groups. We continue
to sleep in open bays. We continue to use group bathrooms accommodating dozens of individuals. We continue to work
in confined spaces. We continue to expose ourselves to the virus on a daily basis. The construction of the ship makes it
impossible for us to practice social distancing. These concerns have been expressed to all levels of the chain of
command, but we have yet to see any demonstrable action taken to get our patients to safety that is in accordance with
CDC guidelines and NAVADMIN 083/20.
There is a high probability that USS THEODORE ROOSEVELT will experience fatalities as a result of COVID-19 and we
expect them to be within 10 days of penning this letter. While we have received the support of U.S. Naval Hospital
Guam, we expect to quickly overwhelm their limited resources. We expect to experience the well published case fatality
rate of 0.5-1% for our age demographic if drastic action is not immediately taken. If this case fatality rate remains
constant we stand the potential to have 50 or more fatal cases. We will not stand by while our fellow sailors continue to
be exposed to this fatal virus.
The only solution to save the lives of our Sailors is to immediately get everyone off the ship into appropriate isolation or
quarantine. There is no other option. The time has come for aggressive measures to be taken and we are asking for your
help to save the lives of our patients.
As medical providers we have a moral responsibility to our patients. We will continue to fight this losing battle, but we
are asking for your immediate support to help us win this war. Time is of the essence.
Very
(b) (6)
LCDR IVIC USN
5urgeon
USS THEODORE
(b) (6)
PT, DPT (b)(6)
(b) (6,
LT MSC USN
Physical Therapist
ngyyrnnnR^nncrwr^^y^i 7 1 )
W
MD(b) (6)
LT MC USN
Our intent is to submit this letter to the public to demonstrate our concerns for the safety of our patients and your
sailors. (b)(6)
Very Respectfully
(b) (6)
(b) (6)
|w
CAmWCUSN
Senior Medical Officer
'OSEVELT (CVN 71)
(d;
lcdJTmc USN
Family Physician
USS THEODORE ROOSEVELT (CVN 71)
Flight Surgeon
CVW-11
FOR 0 FF ! C! ALUS EG N LY // PRIVACY- SENSITIVE
Witness Statement of USS THEODORE ROOSEVELT (CVN 71)
Nurse
On 9 May 2020 I was interviewed in connection with a command investigation concerning chain of
command actions with regard to COVID-19 onboard USS THEODORE ROOSEVELT (CVN 71) via
telephone.
What follows is a true and accurate representation of my statement for this investigation.
Witness Name: LT (hi (6) _ Position: Nurse _
Command: USS THEODORE ROOSEVELT Department/Division: Medical _
Email: IM|jj|||^^^J@cvn71.navv.mil|||j|jjgg^^^^^bl.! .i . Phone(s): (b) (6) _
The following statement is in response to questions I received via telephone interview on 9 May,
2020.
There were many precautionary measures we took on the ship to decrease the spread of viruses. We
started the following additional measures the week after the first Guam port call, 5-10 February, due
to increase in GI illness:
Signs placed around the ship on handwashing and using hand sanitizer, video played on site TV on
how to prevent the spread of viruses, and information published in the Rough
Rider. We also stationed personnel at the head of each galley line to ensure all personnel were using hand
sanitizer.
Bleach-a-Palooza was started twice a week, Monday and Wednesday, on 17 February, 2020
Bleach-a-Palooza was changed to once a day on 10 March, 2020
Bleach-a-Palooza was changed to twice a day on 30 March, 2020
Bleach-a-Palooza was changed to three times a day on 1 May, 2020
Handwashing video was produced and played in the month of February 2020.
Current FAQ’s on Coronavirus and prevention was included in the Pre -Vietnam port call video for the
crew.
Information on disease prevention and/or COVID published in the Rough Rider on the following dates:
16 February 2020
15 and 29 March 2020
5, 19, and 26 April, 2020
6 and 10 May 2020
We had implemented strict screening of all incoming COD passengers starting 15 February, 2020.
All personnel had daily symptom checks and if they reported symptoms they reported to Medical for
temperature check and evaluation. Prior to pulling in to Da Nang, we were aware of what was going
on overseas with the coronavirus and planned accordingly. We planned as if we would have positive
cases and would conduct daily symptom screening on all personnel. Those that reported symptoms
would report to medical for a temperature check and additional evaluation. The process of daily
symptom screening of the entire crew started at the end of the port call. It was hard to believe the low
FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY // PRIVACY SENSITIVE
FOR OFF! C! ALUS EON LY // PRIVACY-SENSfflVI
Subj: Witness Statement of USS THEODORE ROOSEVELT (CVN 71) Nurse
numbers being published from Vietnam prior to our port visit, as all of the countries surrounding
Vietnam were having increased numbers. What was being reported was they had 16 previous cases
and they had all recovered. During my time off the ship on liberty, many of the stores were closed
with signs on them. I have a picture from 6 March, 2020 of a sign posted on a store that read
“CLOSED (Temporarily) from March 1st 2020. Due to spread of Covid-19 infection. Stay healthy
Thank you.” This was the same with many other establishments. I was not on board the ship when
there were reports that two British people had tested positive in the same hotel some of our sailors
were staying in. All Sailors that had been staying in the hotel were brought back to the pier and
quarantined until testing had been performed. After they all tested negative they were placed in
quarantine berthing on board and received twice daily symptom and temperature checks.
We set up a tracking system after departing Da Nang that included a department muster form, where
all sailors were asked the screening questions for symptoms. All Sailors that reported symptoms were
sent to medical for further evaluation. The guidance at the time was a fever, plus ILI symptoms.
Those individuals without a fever were evaluated and treated with medication to treat the symptoms.
We started receiving guidance from 7th Fleet on 30 January, 2020 on requirements for screening.
There were many updates and changes to screening and requirements as the virus evolved. Starting
mid-February, it seemed as if we were getting updates and changes several times a week, if not more.
After we left Vietnam, we set up a specific room that we would run ILI clinic out of so that we would
have a separation from the rest of the Medical department. When we identified our first cases an
additional area was quarantined off to make a COVID positive isolation and holding area. After the
first case was identified the workload in Medical quadrupled and we were working about 1 8 hours a
day to test and disposition the sailors. We were doing what we could to contain the virus, but we
couldn’t follow the guidance given due to the ship environment. We had to do the best we could with
what we had. Due to the large number of positive cases and the large berthing’s on the ship, we could
not truly isolate anyone by themselves.
Medical was inundated with trying to test, treat, isolate, feed, and find berthing for positive sailors
and their close contacts. The command set up an Emergency Command Center a few days in, to
assist with managing the needs of the personnel. As far as the planning for the ship’s arrival in
Guam, I was not involved in the decision making, other than for the Medical department. Medical
was recommending that all sailors would need to be placed in isolation or quarantine to stop the
spread of the virus. Per guidance, as well as what we saw on the news, positive cases needed to be
isolated immediately and close contacts quarantined separately.. We needed single berthing to stop
the spread. My expectations on the arrival to Guam, was to have CDC compliant isolation and
quarantine. We knew that Guam didn’t want us off base because it was on the news and it filtered
throughout the ship. When we first arrived in Guam, the current positive cases were moved to NGIS
and after that filled up personnel were moved to houses with four to five people in them. The close
contacts were moved into gyms or schools that did not have cots six feet apart. There was talk of
barracks in Okinawa, but that fell through and we learned the information on the amount of barracks
available was not correct. We had major concerns and fears of hospitalizations and mortalities, after
hearing in the news of all the people who were dying and needed ventilators.
It seemed as if the leadership on the ship understood the severity of the situation and was on the same
page, but I did not feel that we were being supported by 7th Fleet or PACFLT to help our sailors.
After CAPT Corzier’s letter was released to the public things started moving fast and we started
getting what we needed to try and stop the spread and protect the sailors. I do not think this would
2
FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY // PRIVACY SENSITIVE
Subj: Witness Statement ofUSS THEODORE ROOSEVELT (CVN 71) Nurse
have been the case if the letter was not released. Within a few days we were getting people in to
hotels and properly quar antined. Two days before we were moved to the hotels we had 1400-1500
close contacts.
From what I heard around the ship there were many COA’s discussed about the best and safest plan
of where to pull into port after we had our fir st case. I do believe that San Diego may have been one
of them (strictly hearsay), but there were concerns about being out of MEDEVAC range for several
days. I believe that going to our home poit would have been easier and the better option as we would
have had more to support our needs and not have to worry about the Guam government
SMO is the best boss I’ve ever had. He motivates people to do then best and is a veiy effective leader.
He’s transparent both with what’s going on within medical, and with the ship as a whole. He’s very
supportive of the medical department and made sure we were taken care of.
CAPT Crozier was a great CO and he made it a point to get to know his crew. He cared about his
crew and would do anything to protect them About a month after he had arrived on board I overhear d
a few sailor’s talking in the p-way and one of them said “I have been on this ship for four years, and
the morale on the ship now is the best it has ever been”.
As far as the letter that some personnel from the Medical department wrote. I agree with the goal of
the letter and the need to get people off of the ship to stop the spread. I was also concerned about the
health of our sailor’s and that one or more would die if we did not do our best to get everyone in
isolation and quarantine. I did not sign the letter as I felt that it would affect my career in the Navy.
Even though we are always told to bring issues or concerns to the chain of command. I blow that
there is a good possibility you will still be penalized.
I swear (or affirm) that the information in the statement above is true and accurate to the best of my
biowledge. information, and belief.
(b) (6)
(Witness’ Signature) (Date) Time
3
FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY H PRIVACY SENSITIVE
Witness Statement of USS THEODORE ROOSEVELT (CVN 71)
Ship Surgeon
On 9 May 2020 I was interviewed in connection with a command investigation concerning
chain of command actions with regard to COVID-19 onboard USS THEODORE
ROOSEVELT (CVN 71) via telephone.
What follows is a true and accurate representation of my statement for this investigation.
Witness Name: LCDRj^ _ Position: Ship Surgeon _
Command: USS THEODORE ROOSEVELT Department/Division: Medical _
Email Address:B»l^^^M@cvn71 .navv.mil Phone(s): (b) _
Prior to pulling into Da Nang, the Medical Department had developed and implemented a
plan to screen all personnel going ashore or coming onboard the ship. We had measures in
place including but not limited to: temperature screenings, “bleachapalooza”, CCTV
messages regarding proper hand hygiene, as well as announcements over the 1MC. As soon
as the British nationals tested positive in Da Nang, Sailors who were identified as close
contacts were immediately quarantined. As far as screening guidance, we followed guidelines
published by the CDC. I was not made aware of any specific guidance passed down from the
Navy. During our transit to Guam, there was no specific change in our battle rhythm. We
continued to conduct ship-wide departmental screenings for possible COV1D symptoms.
Follow-up screenings were completed by the Medical Department.
Once we had our first positive case onboard, the Medical Department shifted all our efforts
towards the management, mitigation and control of COVID-19. We accepted jobs outside our
typical training and/or job responsibilities; these included but were not limited to:
nasopharyngeal swabbing, complex data configuration and infectious disease containment. I
personally screened individuals coming into Medical. As the virus continued to spread
throughout the ship, it became apparent that it could not be effectively contained due to the
nature of the living and working conditions on the ship. The data were constantly changing;
recommendations regarding treatments, isolation duration, viral properties and even
infectious presentation were fluid throughout this process. The variability of the data and
contagious nature and clinical course of the virus during this time left the TR in a vulnerable
situation, as we found it to be impossible to meet the guidance produced by the governing
bodies while on TR.
Once we arrived in Guam, we continued our attempt to follow CDC guidance regarding
quarantine and isolation despite the challenges inherent to the ship board environment. I was
not made aware of any structured plan to get Sailors off the ship and into appropriate
isolation or quarantine spaces upon our arrival to Guam. Given the limited capabilities of
Naval Hospital Guam and the size of our crew, I considered the strong possibility that, unless
the virus is immediately contained, we might overwhelm the facilities on Guam. As the
FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY // PRIVACY SENSITIVE
H-4-118
FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY // PRIVACY SENSITIVE
Subj: Witness Statement of USS THEODORE ROOSEVELT (CVN 71) Ship Surgeon
ship’s surgeon and the only person onboard with sufficient critical care experience, I would
have specifically benefitted from direct guidance from Navy leadership regarding the
management and mitigation of personnel on an aircraft carrier infected with COVID-19. This
guidance would have addressed the unique characteristics of an aircraft carrier; however, I
was not made aware of any such guidance. The Medical Department made collective
decisions utilizing all available resources, including, but not limited to, the Navy Marine
Corps Public Health Office, the CDC and published peer-reviewed literature.
I cannot speak to any plan to return the ship to San Diego. I recall a Line plan directed at the
immediate quarantining of Sailors off the ship, who were deemed critical to the function of
the ship and were presumed to be COVID-19 free. These individuals were moved onto Naval
Base Guam, some eventually contracted COVID-19. As for the movement ofCOVlD-19
positive Sailors, I was aware of Sailors going to the Navy Gateway Inns and Suites, though I
was not made aware of the specifics and the transportation plan. Had there been timely and
appropriate guidance from leadership outside the TR, emphasizing appropriate isolation and
quarantine of all Sailors, I believe the TR could have improved its overall response.
SMO is an excellent leader. He was an open and an effective communicator. I personally had
no communication with leadership outside of the TR, including but not limited to 7th Fleet or
PACFLEET. I understand that SMO communicated with the COC outside the TR regarding
our inability to adhere to Navy and CDC guidance for the management and mitigation of
COVID-19.
The impetus for drafting the letter of concern, signed by members of the Medical
Department, was the health and safety of the Sailors. The signatories understood that, based
on the currently available, peer-reviewed medical data, some individuals would develop
severe symptoms on or about 10 days following the onset of symptoms. Upon signing the
letter, the TR was seven days past the first symptoms reported by one COVID + Sailor; there
was no tangible plan in place to get the significant majority of Sailors off the ship and into
the appropriate quarantine or isolation spaces at that time. Even with the understanding that
there were no severe cases onboard at that time, we were concerned that if a plan did not
rapidly materialize, the TR crew stood the chance to suffer increased morbidity and
mortality. Our intent was to submit this letter to our chain of command to generate the
needed aggressive action to protect the health and safety of our Sailors. The signatories met
with CAPT Crazier and physically handed him the letter. CAPT Crazier stated he had a
meeting with SECNAV the following day and would express our concerns to him. CAPT
Crazier recommended we not submit our letter to the public domain.
As a medical professional, I would have recommended we return to our homeport (San
Diego), which has more medical capabilities and available infrastructure to support the crew
of the TR. I was never made aware of any plan that included our return to homeport.
2
FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY // PRIVACY SENSITIVE
H-4-118
FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY // PRIVACY SENSITIVE
Subj: Witness Statement of USS THEODORE ROOSEVELT (CVN 71) Ship Surgeon
Bment above accurately reflects my recollection of the
(b) (6)
1 8MAR2020
1345
(b) (6)
(Date) Time
3
FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY // PRIVACY SENSITIVE
H-4-118
From: (b) (6) (^HCAPT USN. USS Theodore Roosevelt
To: (b) (6) CAPT USN VCNO (USA)
Subject: RE: TR request for assistance
Date: Friday, April 3, 2020 9:53:37 PM
Response from CNAF.
- Original Message -
From: Miller,_De Wolfe H VADM USN COMNAVAIRPAC SAN CA (USA)
Imailto (b) (6) @navv mill
Sent: Monday, March 30, 2020 2:44 PM
To: Crozier, Brett E CAPT USN, USS Theodore Roosevelt; Aquilino, John C ADM
USN COMPACFLT PEARL HI (USA); Baker, Stuart P RDML USN, CCSG-9;
@lccl9 navy.mil; Menoni, John RDML Commander, Joint Region
Marianas
Cc:f '
CAPT USN, CVW-1 1 CAG; ■ (6) |
Theodore Roosevelt; (b) (6) CAPT USN, CVW-1 1 DC AG; |
CAPT USN, USS Theodore Roosevelt; (b) (6)
Roosevelt; ff PC —
CAPT USN, USS
| CAPT USN, USS Theodore
CAPT USN COMPACFLT PEARL HI (USA);
CAPT USN COMNAVAIRPAC (USA); Conn, Scott D VADM USN
(USA)
Subject: RE: TR request for assistance
Chopper - thank you for the red flare. I've added C7F and COMNAVMARIANAS to
this reply as we'll escelate work on behalf of your team immediately.
MTF - Bullet
- Original Message -
From: Crozier, Brett E CAPT USN, USS Theodore Roosevelt
<(b) (6) J@cvn71.navy mil>
Sent: Sunday, March 29, 2020 8:48 PM
To: Aquilino, John C ADM USN COMPACFLT PEARL HI (USA)
(b) (6) B@navy.mil>; Miller, De Wolfe H VADM USN COMNAVAIRPAC SAN CA
■ @navy mil>; Baker, Stuart P RDML USN, CCSG-9
(USA) <(b) (6)
@ccsg9.navy mil>
CAPT USN, CVW-1 1 CAG
CVN-71 (USA)
CVW-11 DC AG
@cvwll navy.mil>; (b) (6)
_ CAPT USN
@cvn71 navy.mil>;|?) (6) | CAPT USN,
@cvwll.nav^nil>!^^^^B |CAPTUSN
COMDESRON 23 (USA) <(b) (6) J@cvn71.navy mi1>; (b) (6) pAPT USN,
USS Theodore Roosevelt <(b) (6) @cvn71 navy.mil>; (b) (6) | CAPT
USN COMPACFLT PEARL HI (USA)
CAPT USN COMNAVAIRPAC (USA)
Subject: TR request for assistance
b) (6)
@navy.mil>; (b) (6)
@navy mil>
Fellow Naval Aviators,
It is with the utmost respect that I write to you requesting assistance. I
consider all of you incredible leaders and I'd gladly follow you into battle
whenever needed.
While I know there are many folks working hard to assist the TR as we
attempt to contain the spread of COVID-19 onboard, all efforts to date have
been inadequate and are unnecessarily putting Sailors lives at risk. I am
no longer confident that normal staffing processes will work, and I believe
H-4-119
we need decisive action now.
Make no mistake about it, if required we could get everyone back onboard,
set sail, and be ready to fight and beat any adversary that dares challenge
the US or our allies. The virus would certainly have an impact, but in
combat we are willing to take certain risks that are not acceptable in
peacetime. I told the SECNAV's office the same, and will repeat to the CNO
if he calls today.
However, our current effort efforts to contain the virus and treat the
symptoms while pierside here in Guam are inadequate. By COB on 30 Mar, TR
will have over 20% of the crew ashore in 'quarantine areas' (open bay gyms)
or 'isolation' rooms (NGIS rooms with shared heads) onboard Naval Base Guam.
These facilities are inadequate to contain the virus and we're already
seeing new positive cases from those residing at gyms with more likely to
follow. Based on the contact tracing of the 53+ CV positive TR Sailors to
date, over 50% of those still onboard (over 2,000) can be considered close
contact - the real number is closer to the 4,000 still onboard due the
close proximity of the entire crew on a CVN.
The current situation is not ideal, and will only get better once we can
isolate the crew off ship in true isolation rooms with separate bathroom
facilities. A CVN does not provide the necessary space to allow for ROM
separation IAW NAV ADMIN 083 or CDC guidance with the majority of the crew
embarked. The Diamond Princess Cruise Ship example demonstrates that the
only way they were able to stop the spread was to remove everyone off the
ship. Considering that they already had some ability to quarantine onboard
with individual guest rooms, we should be extremely concerned with the virus
spread on a CVN.
I need approximately 500 Sailors to remain onboard to continue to operate a
Rx plant, man normal watches to support minimal operations (C2, IET, etc..),
and maintain aircraft readiness. Naval Base Guam is doing the best they
can, but they do not have adequate facilities and we can't wait much longer
for off island lodging to become available as our cases continue to
increase. While I understand that there are political concerns with
requesting the use of hotels on Guam to truly isolate the remaining 4,500
Sailors for 14+ days, the hotels are empty, and I believe it is the only way
to quickly combat this problem. Keeping Sailors local also allows me to
maintain the warfighting capability needed should the balloon go up. The
alternatives are to let this ride out, hope for the best, and pray we don't
lose Sailors to this invisible enemy. Naval Aviation is better than that,
and we owe it to the thousands of Sailors onboard, and those outside
watching, to take decisive action now.
I fully realize that I bear responsibility for not demanding more decisive
action the moment we pulled in, but at this point my only priority is the
continued well-being of the crew and embarked staff. As you know, the
accountability of a Commanding Officer is absolute, and I believe if there
is ever a time to ask for help it is now regardless of the impact on my
career.
Vr,
Chopper
CAPT Brett E. Crozier
Commanding Officer
H-4-119
USS THEODORE ROOSEVELT (CVN 71)
H-4-119
From: (b) (6) (^HCAPT USN. USS Theodore Roosevelt
To: (b) (6) CAPT USN VCNO (USA)
Subject: RE: TR request for assistance
Date: Friday, April 3, 2020 9:55:46 PM
Response from CPF.
@navv mill
- Original Message
From: Aquilino, John C ADM USN COMPACFLT PEARL HI (USA) Imailto
Sent: Monday, March 30, 2020 3:38 PM
To: Crozier, Brett E CAPT USN, USS Theodore Roosevelt; Miller, DeWolfe H VADM USN COMNAVAIRPAC
SAN CA (USA); Baker, Stuart P RDML USN, CCSG-9
(6) ^ CAPT USN, USS Theodore Roosevelt;
CAPT USN, USS Theodore Roosevelt; (b)
Cc: (b) (6) ^ CAPT USN, CVW-1 1 CAG;|
(6) ^^?APT USN, CVW-1 1 DCAG; (b) (6)
^AF^SN, USS Theodore Roosevelt;
(USA); (b)(6)
■
CAPT USN COMPACFLT PEARL HP)
CAPT USN COMNAVAIRPAC (USA)
Subject: RE: TR request for assistance
Studs - you and Chopper call me ASAP
V/R
Lung
ADM Chris “Lung” Aquilino
Commander, US Pacific Fleet
From: Crozier, Brett E CAPT USN, USS Theodore Roosevelt <
Date: Sunday, Mar 29, 2020, 5:48 PM
To: Aquilino, John C ADM USN COMPACFLT PEARL HI (USA)
VADM USN COMNAVAIRPAC SAN CA (USA)
I @cvn7 1 navy mil>
@navy mil>. Miller, DeWolfe H
DCAG'
(b) (6)
(b) (6)
(b) (6)
CAPT USN CVN-71 (USA) <(
@ccsg9.navy mil>
CAPT USN, CVW-1 1 CAG <(b) (6)
@cvn71 navy.mil>,
| @cvn7 1 .navy mil>,
l@navy.mil>,
@cvwll.navy mil>,
6)
@cvn71.navy mil>, 1
@navy mil>, Baker, Stuart P RDML USN,
|@cvwll.navy mil>, (b) (6)
») (6)
ICAPTUSN, CVW-1 1
CAPT USN COMDESRON 23 (USA)
CAPT USN, USS Theodore Roosevelt
CAPT USN COMPACFLT PEARL HI (USA)
CAPT USN COMNAVAIRPAC (USA)
■ @navy mil>
Subject: TR request for assistance
Fellow Naval Aviators,
It is with the utmost respect that I write to you requesting assistance. I
consider all of you incredible leaders and I'd gladly follow you into battle
whenever needed.
H-4-120
While I know there are many folks working hard to assist the TR as we
attempt to contain the spread of COV1D-19 onboard, all efforts to date have
been inadequate and are unnecessarily putting Sailors lives at risk. 1 am
no longer confident that normal staffing processes will work, and 1 believe
we need decisive action now.
Make no mistake about it, if required we could get everyone back onboard,
set sail, and be ready to fight and beat any adversary that dares challenge
the US or our allies. The virus would certainly have an impact, but in
combat we are willing to take certain risks that are not acceptable in
peacetime. 1 told the SECNAV's office the same, and will repeat to the CNO
if he calls today.
However, our current effort efforts to contain the virus and treat the
symptoms while pierside here in Guam are inadequate. By COB on 30 Mar, TR
will have over 20% of the crew ashore in 'quarantine areas' (open bay gyms)
or 'isolation' rooms (NGfS rooms with shared heads) onboard Naval Base Guam.
These facilities are inadequate to contain the virus and we're already
seeing new positive cases from those residing at gyms with more likely to
follow. Based on the contact tracing of the 53+ CV positive TR Sailors to
date, over 50% of those still onboard (over 2,000) can be considered close
contact - the real number is closer to the 4,000 still onboard due the
close proximity of the entire crew on a CVN.
The current situation is not ideal, and will only get better once we can
isolate the crew off ship in true isolation rooms with separate bathroom
H-4-120
facilities. A CVN does not provide the necessary space to allow for ROM
separation IAW NAV ADMIN 083 or CDC guidance with the majority of the crew
embarked. The Diamond Princess Cruise Ship example demonstrates that the
only way they were able to stop the spread was to remove everyone off the
ship. Considering that they already had some ability to quarantine onboard
with individual guest rooms, we should be extremely concerned with the virus
spread on a CVN.
I need approximately 500 Sailors to remain onboard to continue to operate a
Rx plant, man normal watches to support minimal operations (C2, IET, etc..),
and maintain aircraft readiness. Naval Base Guam is doing the best they
can, but they do not have adequate facilities and we can't wait much longer
for off island lodging to become available as our cases continue to
increase. While I understand that there are political concerns with
requesting the use of hotels on Guam to truly isolate the remaining 4,500
Sailors for 14+ days, the hotels are empty, and I believe it is the only way
to quickly combat this problem. Keeping Sailors local also allows me to
maintain the warfighting capability needed should the balloon go up. The
alternatives are to let this ride out, hope for the best, and pray we don't
lose Sailors to this invisible enemy. Naval Aviation is better than that,
and we owe it to the thousands of Sailors onboard, and those outside
watching, to take decisive action now.
I fully realize that I bear responsibility for not demanding more decisive
action the moment we pulled in, but at this point my only priority is the
continued well-being of the crew and embarked staff. As you know, the
accountability of a Commanding Officer is absolute, and I believe if there
H-4-120
is ever a time to ask for help it is now regardless of the impact on my
career.
Vr,
Chopper
CAPT Brett E. Crozier
Commanding Officer
USS THEODORE ROOSEVELT (CVN 71)
H-4-120
From: (b) (6) ^BCAPT USN. USS Theodore Roosevelt
To: (b) (6) CAPT USN VCNO (USA)
Subject: FW: TR request for assistance
Date: Friday, April 3, 2020 9:54:17 PM
Response from COMNAVMAR.
- Original Message
From: (b) (6) ■@fe navy.mil fmailto
Sent: Monday, March 30, 2020 3:08 PM
To: Crozier, Brett E CAPT USN, USS Theodore Roosevelt
Cc: '(b) (6)
@fe navv. mill
Theodore Roosevelt; (b) (6)
CAPT USN, USS Theodore Roosevelt:
■
CAPT USN, CVW-1 1 CAG; (b) (6)
CAPT USN, USS
Stuart P RDML USN, CCSG-9; |b) (6)
CAPT USN, CVW-1 1 DC AG; (b) (6)
t-Tb) (6) CAPT USN, USS Theodore
.mil; (b) (6)
@navy mil; Baker,
@lccl9.navy mil
Subject: RE: TR request for assistance
Chopper,
JRM, NBG and AAFB are ready to continue to support/house what we can within
our fence lines as well as transport Sailors to AAFB FFT off island should
that be the COA selected.
I am also working the local solution to lodging outside the fence line but I
am treading lightly as that solution will be in direct opposition to the
stated Navy position not to place the burden on Guam's resources to solve
our issue.
Please continue to let us know real time what you need and we will get after
it.
Very respectfully,
John
- Original Message -
From: Miller, De Wolfe H VADM USN COMNAVAIRPAC SAN CA (USA)
[maihoj
I @ navv mill
Sent: Monday, March 30, 2020 2:44 PM
To: Crozier, Brett E CAPT USN, USS Theodore Roosevelt
(6) | @cvn7 1 .navy mil>; Aquilino, John C ADM USN COMPACFLT PEARL HI
H@navy mil>; Baker, Stuart P RDML USN, CCSG-9
: (b) (6)
(USA) <(b) (6)
<(b) (6) |@ccsg9.navy mil>;
RDML USN JRM <(b) (6)
Cc: (b) (6)
(6)
CVN-71 (USA) <(b
CVW-11 DCAG <(b) (6)
@lccl9 navy.mil; Menoni, John V
@fe.navy mil>
_ CAPT USN, CVW-1 1 CAG
@cvwll navy.mil>; (b) (6)
COMDESRON 23 (USA) <(b) (6)
USS Theodore Roosevelt <(b) (6)
USN COMPACFLT PEARL HI~(USA)
CAPT USN COMNAVAIRPAC (USA)
@cvn71 navy.mil>; (b) (6)
@cvwll.navy mil>; (b) (6)
@cvn71.navy mil>l3) (6)
@cvn71 navy.mil>;
CAPT USN
CAPT USN,
CAPT USN
CAPT USN,
CAPT
@navy.mil>; (b) (6)
@navy mil>; Conn, Scott D
VADM USN (USA) •
I @ navy mil>
Subject: RE: TR request for assistance
H-4-121
Chopper - thank you for the red flare. I've added C7F and COMNAVMARIANAS to
this reply as we'll escelate work on behalf of your team immediately.
MTF - Bullet
- Original Message -
From: Crozier, Brett E CAPT USN, USS Theodore Roosevelt
<(b) (6) @cvn71.navy mil>
Sent: Sunday, March 29, 2020 8:48 PM
To: Aquilino, John C ADM USN COMPACFLT PEARL HI (USA)
<(b) (6) |@navy.mil>; Miller, De Wolfe H VADM USN COMNAVAIRPAC SAN CA
■ @navy mil>; Baker, Stuart P RDML USN, CCSG-9
@ccsg9.navy mil>
CAPT USN, CVW-1 1 CAG
CVN-71 (USA)
CVW-11 DC AG
@cvwll navy.mil>; (b) (6)
_ CAPT USN
@cvn71 navy.mil>; J>) (6) ] CAPT USN,
B@cvwll.navy mil>; (b) (6) | CAPT USN
COMDESRON 23 (USA) <(b) (6) |@cvn71.navy milxjb) (6) ^£APT USN,
USS Theodore Roosevelt <(b) (6) @cvn71 navy.mil>; (b) (6) | CAPT
USN COMPACFLT PEARL HI (USA)
CAPT USN COMNAVAIRPAC (USA)
Subject: TR request for assistance
b) (6)
@navy.mil>; (b) (6)
@navy mil>
Fellow Naval Aviators,
It is with the utmost respect that I write to you requesting assistance. I
consider all of you incredible leaders and I'd gladly follow you into battle
whenever needed.
While I know there are many folks working hard to assist the TR as we
attempt to contain the spread of COVID-19 onboard, all efforts to date have
been inadequate and are unnecessarily putting Sailors lives at risk. I am
no longer confident that normal staffing processes will work, and I believe
we need decisive action now.
Make no mistake about it, if required we could get everyone back onboard,
set sail, and be ready to fight and beat any adversary that dares challenge
the US or our allies. The vims would certainly have an impact, but in
combat we are willing to take certain risks that are not acceptable in
peacetime. I told the SECNAV's office the same, and will repeat to the CNO
if he calls today.
However, our current effort efforts to contain the vims and treat the
symptoms while pierside here in Guam are inadequate. By COB on 30 Mar, TR
will have over 20% of the crew ashore in 'quarantine areas' (open bay gyms)
or 'isolation' rooms (NGIS rooms with shared heads) onboard Naval Base Guam.
These facilities are inadequate to contain the vims and we're already
seeing new positive cases from those residing at gyms with more likely to
follow. Based on the contact tracing of the 53+ CV positive TR Sailors to
date, over 50% of those still onboard (over 2,000) can be considered close
contact - the real number is closer to the 4,000 still onboard due the
close proximity of the entire crew on a CVN.
The current situation is not ideal, and will only get better once we can
isolate the crew off ship in true isolation rooms with separate bathroom
facilities. A CVN does not provide the necessary space to allow for ROM
separation IAW NAV ADMIN 083 or CDC guidance with the majority of the crew
H-4-121
embarked. The Diamond Princess Cruise Ship example demonstrates that the
only way they were able to stop the spread was to remove everyone off the
ship. Considering that they already had some ability to quarantine onboard
with individual guest rooms, we should be extremely concerned with the virus
spread on a CVN.
I need approximately 500 Sailors to remain onboard to continue to operate a
Rx plant, man normal watches to support minimal operations (C2, IET, etc..),
and maintain aircraft readiness. Naval Base Guam is doing the best they
can, but they do not have adequate facilities and we can't wait much longer
for off island lodging to become available as our cases continue to
increase. While I understand that there are political concerns with
requesting the use of hotels on Guam to truly isolate the remaining 4,500
Sailors for 14+ days, the hotels are empty, and I believe it is the only way
to quickly combat this problem. Keeping Sailors local also allows me to
maintain the warfighting capability needed should the balloon go up. The
alternatives are to let this ride out, hope for the best, and pray we don't
lose Sailors to this invisible enemy. Naval Aviation is better than that,
and we owe it to the thousands of Sailors onboard, and those outside
watching, to take decisive action now.
I fully realize that I bear responsibility for not demanding more decisive
action the moment we pulled in, but at this point my only priority is the
continued well-being of the crew and embarked staff. As you know, the
accountability of a Commanding Officer is absolute, and I believe if there
is ever a time to ask for help it is now regardless of the impact on my
career.
Vr,
Chopper
CAPT Brett E. Crozier
Commanding Officer
USS THEODORE ROOSEVELT (CVN 71)
H-4-121
FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY // PRIVACY SENSITIVE
Witness Statement of USS THEODORE ROOSEVELT (CVN 71)
Operations Officer
On 1 1 May 2020 I was interviewed in connection with a command investigation concerning
chain of command actions with regard to COVID- 19 onboard USS THEODORE
ROOSEVELT (CVN 71) via telephone.
What follows is a true and accurate representation of my statement for this investigation.
Witness Name: CDR<b) _ _ Position: Operations Officer _
Command: USS THEODORE ROOSEVELT Department/Division: Operations
Email Address:
t>.cvn7 Lnavv.mil
Phone(s):
Leading up to the Da Nang port visit, we were following the COVID story. It was national and
international news so hard to miss. We were following closely mostly because of what we were
observing with the Diamond Princess in the AOR. They wanted to pull into Japan and then they
were turned away. During our port call in Guam, we heard that Diamond Princess requested to
head south to Guam after being turned away in Japan. As I understand it, Guam said “no,” but
know they didn’t go there. We watched the COVID outbreaks around the globe. It was big news
when it exploded in places like South Korea. We knew full well that certain places were rising,
like Singapore and Thailand where we hoped to have future port calls. We were following the
COVID threat levels and severity of the country levels (significant, severe, moderate, mild, and
low). Vietnam remained categorized as low risk throughout.
There were many discussions on the ship among the JOs, sailors, and leaders; frank discussions
about Vietnam and COVID. At the time it was considered low risk. I think they had 14 positive
cases at the time, concentrated up north near Hanoi. I looked this up at some point after the
outbreak but distance between Da Nang and Hanoi is similar to San Diego and San Jose. Not
really close. It was a low threat environment. I will tell you on board the ship, in particular with
SMO, the message was “we need to prepare for this.” I believe that nobody knows where it
came from for sure. I don’t think it came from Vietnam. Look at Bunker Hill. They were pier
side, hosted numerous tours in Da Nang, and still no cases. I think we brought it with us from
California (when we deployed). Prior to the Da Nang visit, we sent medical representatives to
screen distinguished visitors before their COD flight.
Regarding mitigation measures, 1 recall a brief that SMO and his team released leading up to the
Vietnam port call for procedures / actions to take before, during and after the port call.
Essentially a medical specific port call brief including COVID mitigations in case of an
outbreak. CAPT Crazier sent it to COS, who posted on the strike group CAS [collaboration at
FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY // PRIVACY SENSITIVE
H-4-122
FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY// PRIVACY SENSITIVE
Subj: Witness Statement of USS THEODORE ROOSEVELT (CVN 71) Operations Officer
sea] page. The push from staff leadership was to do more than Vinson did two years ago, in
terms of professional exchanges, DVs hosted, attendance at the Big Top, etc. We got pressure
from the embassy / country team as well. We sent medical personnel early to screen the
Vietnamese DVs. They used the standard Fleet Forces COVID questionnaire that primarily
asked about symptoms and travel. I don’t recall if any DVs were turned away or not. I will tell
you our plan for tours was to keep the Vietnamese DVs on the ship for as short a time as
possible. We planned to show them a few specific spaces: hangar bay, aircraft elevator (ACE)
ride to the flight deck, a tour of the flight deck, ACE ride back to the hangar bay, and depart. We
had them scheduled to be on ship for maybe an hour max before they left. We really limited their
access. We only one tour we gave in Vietnam based on sea state and the liberty boats.
Regarding the Brits who tested positive in the hotel, the 39 sailors (from TR, Bunker Hill, and
CVW-1 1) were in quarantine onboard TR for the full 2-week period in their own separate
berthing space. CAPT Crozier ensured they had at least one TV, workout equipment, a phone
line to call families, and encouraged all embarked to stay in touch with them throughout the
quarantine period. They all completed the quarantine with negative test results. I recall CAPT
Crozier getting on the 1 MC and talking about it frequently. He sent letters to the families, about
one a week, certainly one the first week. I remember him talking to PAO about posting
something on Facebook. I’m not certain that actually happened but I think it did. We talked a lot
about being clean. Even before the port call we were already doing cleaning with bleach [we call
it bleach-a-palooza]. During that 14-day quarantine for those sailors, we increased it to twice a
day. SMO pushed it and we were tracking it pretty closely (attendance), making sure folks were
getting the bleach solution and doing thorough cleaning.
The message was pushed out in our Plan of the Week, and another document sent out to all
hands, like a COVID information sheet. What I remember more than anything else was CAPT
Crozier getting on the 1 MC. That was a primary method of communicating with the crew and he
was probably on the 1MC at least twice a week. Updating the crew on the folks being cared for
who are in quarantine, encouraging the crew to check on them to make sure their spirits are high.
1 don’t recall discussions about screening stores or packages coming off CODs at that time. I
don’t recall that being done at the time, I doubt it. I don’t remember that being a thing. I don’t
recall any guidance about protecting personnel from possible transmission from packages
supplies. I did not have any lessons learned discussions with other OPSOs at that time; there
weren’t any. Since then, I’ve shared emails with OPSO on Reagan — he’s a friend of mine —
we’ve exchanged SOPs and mitigation strategies. I think I started that either just prior to or right
after we arrived in Guam.
Between Da Nang and Guam, I do not recall incorporating any social distancing measures but we
had some discussions. When we left Da Nang, we had no reason to start social distancing. We
were leaving a low threat country, nobody had symptoms, and we put sailors in quarantine who
2
FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY // PRIVACY SENSITIVE
H-4-122
FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY // PRIVACY SENSITIVE
Subj: Witness Statement of USS THEODORE ROOSEVELT (CVN 71) Operations Officer
stepped foot inside the same hotel as the British tourists. We weren’t even sure they had any
contact let alone prolonged contact. We had those folks in quarantine until the 23rd. Up until
then, we were feeling pretty good. It was a low-threat country. Bunker Hill had no issues. It was
not until the 24th of March that the first two popped. We had a lot planned on the 24lh; we had a
RAS (replenishment at sea) and were supposed to continue with an exercise with an ARG. But
we terminated that, turned south towards Guam, and started coordinating with Naval Base Guam
for our arrival.
In terms of social distancing, that may have been a thing in the states in the last part of March.
We did not close the barbershops, we talked about closing the gyms. My recommendation to the
XO was to not close the gyms, specifically. My thought process was — and I wasn’t alone in
this — was the gym is one of a handful of places that people go: berthing, work center, mess
decks, lounge, and the gym. If you close the gym with a fully manned carrier, you are going to
push the same amount of people into fewer spaces and increase the congestion which gives you
less social distancing. For PPE, by the time we pulled into Guam, we had some masks to pass out
for COVID positive Sailors and close contacts, but we were not equipped with enough in case of
a global pandemic and a world-wide shortage of N95 masks. So we limited distribution because
if we pass them out to everyone, the expectation would be for that to continue and provide more
when they got dirty, but we didn’t have enough to do that. We ordered tens of thousands more
later. The plan was to get this ship somewhere and get people off the ship as soon as possible.
By the 26th, before we pulled in to Guam, the first COA we tackled was, “How long would it
take to get back home as soon as possible while minimizing time outside of MEDEVAC range?”
We needed to determine the minimal manning to get the ship back home because that would
create a priority for personnel to disembark first. From CSG-9 N3, this COA was presented to
Admiral Baker and/or COS and he/they said, “No we’re not going to do that.” I understand that
mindset. Returning home so fast would signal defeat and we are not built that way. So we took
action on that COA. Once we got to Guam, we determined 840 was the right (minimal) number
to get the ship underway and sail to San Diego, but as we planned to move them off the ship first
to ensure a COVID-ffee would be available in case we had to execute that plan, things became
convoluted with each subsequent, competing COA. It was super frustrating because they kept
asking for a number of Sailors required to complete a task (limited / full flight ops) or what we
could accomplish with a certain amount of Sailors. Initially there was little to no regard for
qualifications and the fact that we can’t identify who will or will not contract the virus. You can’t
just have any 840 people and you’re done. It needs to be right people.
After we came up with the first COA, the next COA became “get underway from Guam in 2-3
weeks with a certain amount of sailors (more than 840), launch the air wing to Andersen AFB to
regain currency, and immediately return to NB Guam. Then go back out to sea 2-3 weeks later
with more Sailors to continue with deployment.” Then it was the 5,000 rooms in Okinawa COA.
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Followed by the discussion of flying most of the crew to Fallon, Hawaii or San Diego. Finally it
a larger scale CONOPS brief that included four COAs. This was all within the first 2-3 days of
being pier side in Guam. From my perspective there was more focus on the next phase
deployment rather than developing a plan to ensure the health of the crew. It felt like all we got
was push back, a number of arguments between CAG and COS. CAG was voicing that we need
people off to be in compliance with the NAV ADMENs and CDC guidance, and COS was
pushing back that you’re not going to get commercial hotels or a Hilton downtown. That was
not our intention, but we wanted to isolate / quarantine personnel with their own bathrooms in
accordance with the CDC guidance.
Another COA was flying all 5,000 people to Okinawa. We scrambled to identify and prioritize
Sailors (separate from the 840) to travel as soon as the next day because we were told we had “4-
star support” in redirecting aircraft to Guam for us. A couple days later it was, “Ok just kidding,
it’s 500 rooms.” We did not plan for this, but there were serious conversations about getting
underway to sail to Okinawa and transport people to shore via helicopter while at anchor; which
is beyond ridiculous. That would take a month and half. Admiral Baker discussed Hawaii and
Fallon as options; the COAs didn’t stop coming. Another one was getting the “sick” half off the
ship and the other half get underway. But it’s not just numbers, you need people with certain
skills, qualifications, etc. to get underway. Not just a “healthy” half of the crew. 1 just kept
coming back to, “there are rooms on Guam, both on and off base, that are compliant with the
CDC and Navy guidelines. Why can’t we explore that option?” It was frustrating. You go to
these meetings every day and we’d have to plan for another COA that we knew full well wasn’t
going to be executed. They just didn’t make sense.
Because of the shutdown and the economic impact to the pandemic, we knew there were lots of
rooms available on the island. It wasn’t hard to find on the internet. We knew that Andersen
AFB wasn’t an option because the USAF wouldn’t let us land an airplane there. No way they
would let us stay on base for weeks at a time.
So the first email from CAPT^' w £ ] saw was on March 26th, “Welcome aboard, we’re here to
help.” He sent that to CAPT Crozier about the capacity on base and initial support. He relayed
that the base was not ready, but they bent over backwards to help us. I will say this, it is super
challenging. We were supposed to pull in a week later, so they (Guam) weren’t ready for this.
We weren’t ready. Nobody plans for this. This isn’t part of the training cycle.
At the bottom of that email to CAPT Crozier, CAPTjW stated they had about 700 beds, but
capacity to only feed 350 people per day, which he estimated would improve over the next few
days. We got pressure after that for the next week or so because the capacity pushed up the chain
from the base / region (grew to over 1 ,000 “rooms”) was not close to the amount of Sailors we
pushed off the ship. Our feedback was, “Yeah but it’s not ‘rooms,’ it’s mostly cots in a gym or
in the laundry room of a town house.” And they’re saying, “It’s an emergency to get them off the
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Subj: Witness Statement of USS THEODORE ROOSEVELT (CVN 71) Operations Officer
ship.” Yeah but it’s not compliant with the CDC. But, “you have to get them off the ship!” It felt
like, to me, like we could never have a right answer. Those on the outside screaming about
social distancing onboard the ship turned a blind eye to the conditions of those sailors in the gym
sleeping 3 feet away from their neighbor. Keep in mind that, except for those who tested
positive or presumed positive, we could not leave the ship for the first two or three days in port.
Not even the pier. Only those departing for one of the gyms, schools or townhouses could leave,
but we also needed to be escorted by NB Guam personnel in duty vehicles (a follow-me truck).
And we were limited in the number of vehicles we could use to leave the pier. Three vehicles
initially. Makes it hard to move a large number of Sailors off the ship. When we first arrived the
base didn’t have the ability to adequately feed our Sailors. After getting feedback about the
quantity and quality, CAPT^ W |got personally involved and corrected the issue.
I want to say there was a push to get 3,000 beds on base. At least 2,500. My sense was that was
coming from Seventh Fleet. So the region and NBG executed the plan and added cots to most of
the schools and gyms on base. In every nook and cranny, which is awesome, but what’s that
doing exactly? So we’ve got all these cots in gyms or a warehouse, but little to no regard to
spacing or the number of people per head. This was also at a time when hotels opened up, but we
still had to send Sailors to the gyms first to increase our fill rate. That only makes sense to me if
you’re working to turn a chiclet green on a PowerPoint slide. None of that made sense and it
was extremely frustrating. There appeared to be pressure from the top to get people off the ship
regardless of the situation they were going to.
Then they started adding beds to townhouses on base. It started off as around 200 some odd cots,
and then they were adding cots to those locations to build capacity, because the mindset was we
must build capacity on the base. We’re not looking for 5-star hotel, but if you’re putting eight
people in a three bedroom townhouse with two bathrooms when the guidance is one bed one bath
per person, then we’re not compliant.
We were getting told, “Well you’re not social distancing on the ship” or “you need to enforce
social distancing”. Well yeah, that’s impossible and you’re telling us to social distance three
hundred people in a gym. How are you gonna do that?
So many things that just didn’t add up, such as the differing COAs to Hawaii, Okinawa, Fallon,
etc. Then, after CAPT Crozier sent the email, we suddenly had an ability get hotel rooms. All of
a sudden we have progress. I think 100° o it had to do with the letter because magically, we had
rooms available. We’re all going through the CDC guidance, NMCPH guidance, NAVADMINs,
and their all saying the same thing and we can’t do it. I was in the room with CAG, commodore,
CAPT Crozier, when Admiral Baker asked him about the letter. But magically, after the letter,
we had hotels, what we needed, and support.
I don’t know where the pushback / resistance was coming from, but I told CAPT Crozier two
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Subj: Witness Statement of USS THEODORE ROOSEVELT (CVN 71) Operations Officer
nights before he was relieved. I see him every night for night orders. It was just me and him and
he asked me, “What do you think?” I told him, “It doesn’t make sense.” I told him we’ve got a
CSG Commander who’s very aggressive and he recognizes that. He told us so. I get it, I’m
tracking. During TSTA, he stopped the exercise and training for the strike group to develop and
execute a CONOPS to prosecute what he and other perceived as a threat. Brief to Third Fleet,
moved ships around the operating area, everything. In another case, he wanted a specific, unique
capability on our ship for special access programs and he pushed it very hard to get it. Along
with a JO on the CSG staff, one my JOs made this thing happen to get this capability on the ship
in a month or two. After we deployed, there was a 5 or 6 week period between port calls and he
found a way to add another Guam port call (clearly working with C7F). It was as if he got
everything he asked for. So the outbreak happens and we plan to MEDEVAC the COD to
Andersen AFB with COVID positive Sailors and they refused to let us land there. I don’t recall
the number, but it took several helicopters to get our Sailors to Guam Naval Hospital. Then we
asked for rooms, on or off base, to provide separation and allow our people to recover in a true
quarantine or isolation room in this situation and we couldn’t get help from any organization.
Zero progress. I told him it doesn’t make sense to me that the Air Force told us to go away
because we’re “dirty” and that aggressive guy doesn’t make a phone call to fix that situation.
Maybe he did. Maybe it fell on deaf ears and he got no support. But it was odd that an Admiral
with so many connections, who openly talked about his close ties to ADM Aquilino, who was
ADM Davidson’s EA, we’re in their AOR, and that aggressive man with those connections can’t
get make any progress on getting adequate quarantine lodging in Guam? We can’t get airplanes
to Japan? I don’t know if the pushback for rooms was coming from CSG staff, Admiral Baker,
7,h Fleet, or higher. But whenever the hotel room option was mentioned, we got the same reply
“that is not acceptable / supportable”. My impression is that it (COVID) was not being taken
seriously. CAPT Crozier’s response was short. He said he thought it was a hard problem and
that it was a political one with the local government of Guam and the locals who are rightly
concerned about their health.
As carrier OPSO, I only had direct contact one time with 7lh Fleet staff. We work through the
♦Vi
strike group staff. Until recent, I was there for every 7 Fleet CUB, every Tuesday. For me,
actually dealing directly with 7th Fleet was just that one time. I’m aware of the 7th Fleet working
group on COVID but not a part of that meeting. I may have attended once. I know there’s a
daily VTC, but I did not attend other than maybe once.
As we’ve made progress in the recovery, we (as planners) finally settled on an expected
departure date based on the expected return of sailors with the requisite qualifications. [I can’t
give the date] That date was passed up the chain through the CSG-9 staff. Recently, we were
asked to provide a window of opportunity (WOO) instead of a specific date. Along with another
head of department, I was part of developing that WOO that included a best (earliest) and worst
(latest) case dates. Our recommended departure date was provided in a daily product from the
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Subj: Witness Statement of USS THEODORE ROOSEVELT (CVN 71) Operations Officer
strike group staff to C7F. The best case date was 4 days earlier than the original recommended
date. Shortly after providing the WOO, the slide changed to show that we were planning for the
best case date. When I asked CSG staffers why the slide changed, the answer was “it was
directed from C7F\ This happened shortly after Admiral Aquilino visited the ship and had an
all-officer call on the pier. Someone asked him “when should we expect to be leaving Guam?’’
He said as soon as we’re healthy and ready. He said “I’m not gonna rush you.” He told the
Reactor Officer the same thing during his tour on board. The problem is we knew at that point
we could not achieve the best case date because of a variety of factors, but simply put we didn’t
have enough Sailors embarked who cleared the return to work protocol. So the slide remained
unchanged until Seventh Fleet directed a change to the recommended date - when the best case
date arrived. The point is despite being told there is no pressure, there is lots of pressure when
the fleet commander (and staff) direct a change like that. I’ve served on a CSG staff (as an aide)
and a TYCOM staff (as an N3/N40 action officer). I’ve never seen anything like that before. I
don’t mind pressure, but you have to be realistic. You can’t tell someone with cancer “just have
a couple chemo treatments - I’ll see you back at work on Tuesday”. Especially when you never
had cancer. It just doesn’t work that way. At a certain point, that date shifted on the CSG-9
slide to the earliest date, and, honestly, I missed it, bad on me, but I missed it.
I was around a lot, just by virtue of the position, and spent lots of time with CAPT Crozier. I will
tell you the letter, the email, this was all a joint effort by the warfare commanders saying that the
plans to fight COVID- 1 9 weren’t working. They saw the dysfunction. We have the recent history
and studies of the Diamond Princess in Japan, we have the blueprint, but there was significant
pushback at all levels. CAG did much of the heavy lifting of drafting the original version of the
letter and the warfare commanders each chopped it. They discussed the way ahead and CAPT
Crozier said he should sign it as the carrier CO.
I was in the room that Monday afternoon our time, when Admiral Baker walked in the inport
cabin and asked him about the email. CAG and Commodore too. This stood out to me, because
he sat down, and said, “Is there any reason you didn’t tell me why you were gonna send that
email?” The CO asked CSG if he would have stopped him from sending it. Admiral Baker said
maybe he would’ve sent it. CO expressed that he just wanted to do what was right for the Sailors
and get them the help they need. That it wasn’t about trying to protect his job. He also said that
he thought he could take some heat for Admiral Baker as there seemed to be some friction
between him and VADM Merz. The CO said he felt it was time to send up a flare. Admiral
Baker said “I don’t work that way”.
But the next thing that stuck with me was that that Admiral Baker said the letter would get
leaked. The CO seemed surprised and asked, “Why would it get leaked? It only went to us in
this room, CPF and the Air Boss.” Admiral Baker said that it could be easily forwarded on an
unclassified network. The letter was leaked the next night (Guam time). A very similar tone and
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Subj: Witness Statement of USS THEODORE ROOSEVELT (CVN 71) Operations Officer
language was used during the SECNAV press conference.
I was there when the CO realized the letter was leaked; he had the news up on his computer. The
CO commented that they sent the letter to his hometown paper, stating, “They’re going to think I
did this, but I didn’t do it.” I believe him. It’s been a challenge. And it’s been a challenge by
design, we’re the first carrier to handle this. We’re trying to get back to sea and not repeat this
whole process.
A lot of what was being put out by the SECNAV and CNO was inaccurate. And I get the
time and distance and information flow. But SECNAV said during some press briefing that
we’re gonna get half the people off the ship by the end of the week, and it’s like where’s that
coming from? That plan was not mentioned by anybody that I work with on the ship at any
point until he said it. That was a day or two before CAPT Crozier got relieved.
I swear (or affirm) that the information in the statement above is true and accurate to the best of
my kno
. information, and belief.
(Witness’ Signature) ^ ^
yg. VWt zoao
(Date) '
Time
Name of Interviewer: CDR^
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(b) (6)
LCDR USN VCNO
(USA)
From:
Sent:
To:
Cc:
Subject:
Signed By:
(b)(6)
LCDR USN, USS THEODORE ROOSEVELT
Monday, March 30, 2020 1 1 :44 PM
CDR USN, C7F'
b) (6)
LT USN, C7F'
FW: Urgent media inquiry: USS Theodore Roosevelt COVID outbreak
(b)(6)-
|@navy.mil
Ma'am,
CAPT(b)f emailed me below ....
While I have a copy of the email (hard copy given to me by the CO today), I do not have a copy of the attachment (white
paper) that was included in the email sent to PACFLT and CNAF which is what I believe the reporter is referencing in his
media query.
Did you want me to provide anything to CAPT(b) , or do you prefer to engage with PACFLT directly?
Very respectfully,
LCDRj
Public Affairs Officer
Carrier Strike Group NINE
USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71)
Office: |
Cell : |
@cvn71. navy. (smil). mil
0:^(6)
JDial:(b)li/
Hydr#(b)
- Original Message -
From: (b) (6) CAPT USN COM PACFLT (USA) [mailto|b) (6)
Sent: Tuesday, March 31, 2020 1:23 PM
@navy.mil]
To:
LCDR USN, USS THEODORE ROOSEVELT
Subject: FW: Urgent media inquiry: USS Theodore Roosevelt COVID outbreak
I, Are you aware of this letter? Did you read it?
v/rM
From:|b)(6)
LTJG USN COM PACFLT (USA)p)(6)
@navy.mil>
Date: Monday, Mar 30, 2020, 2:05 PM
1
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To: (b) (6)
(Ssfchronicle.com
<(b) (6)
@sfchronicle.com>
Subject: RE: Urgent media inquiry: USS Theodore Roosevelt COVID outbreak
Hi
I've got your query and I'll work to get you additional answers soonest.
Very Respectfully,
Lt. j.g. (b) (6)
U.S. Pacific Fleet Public Affairs
Cell: (b) (6)
From: (b) (6)
<(b) (6)
@sfchronicle.com>
Sent: Monday, March 30, 2020 7:11 PM
To: OSD Pentagon PA Mailbox Duty Officer Press Operations
Subject: [Non-DoD Source] Urgent media inquiry: USS Theodore Roosevelt COVID outbreak
@mail.mil>
Hi,
I'm a reporter with the San Francisco Chronicle. I'm working on an article about the USS Theodore Roosevelt that has a
number of COVID-19 cases on board. It's now docked at the base in Guam. It is based out of San Diego.
We obtained a copy of a four-page letter sent from Capt. Brett Crozier pleading for help from the U.S. Navy brass to
bring equipment to allow isolated quarantines for his entire crew. He says the current strategy is not working as there is
no way to properly isolated aboard the aircraft carrier.
I had questions for the Navy:
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1. Have you received Capt. Crozier's letter?
2. How many positive COVID tests are there right now on the ship's crew?
3. What is the response from the Navy? Is anything being done?
4. What specifics are being done right now? Is any equipment being sent there? When will it arrive?
5. How concerned is the Navy about this situation?
6. Any other comments about this situation?
Thanks for your prompt attention. I can be reached by email or at
time.
have a deadline today at 6:30 p.m. CA
Best,
(b) (6)
3
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5/25/2020
Thomas Modly transcript on Capt. Brett Crazier to USS Theodore Roosevelt - CNNPolitics
politics • live tv @ =
transcript: ncung navy secretary i nomas iviooiy
addresses USS Theodore Roosevelt crew about 'stupid'
ousted captain
Updated 6:34 PM ET, Mon April 6, 2020
Code: 4 | Message: Something went wrong during native playback.
Hear Acting Navy secretary's criticism of ousted captain 02:29
(CNN) — Acting Secretary of the Navy Thomas Modly blasted the now-ousted commander of the USS Theodore
Roosevelt, Capt. Brett Crozier, as "stupid" in an address to the ship's crew Monday morning.
Read the full transcript of Modly 's address to the crew, obtained by CNN:
I've been wanting to come out to the ship since we first found out you had COVID cases on here. I was actually
planning on being here last Tuesday after I went to see the Mercy off in Los Angeles. So I want you to know that no
one in my level has been ignoring the situation here from the very beginning.
I reached out to your CO through my Chief of Staff very, very early on in this crisis. On Sunday, told him that I
wanted to come out to the ship and if it would be okay or if it would be too disruptive. I told him that because i
wanted to be able to help, if there was anything else he needed as this massive effort was underway, to get you
guys healthy and clean and safe. He waved me off. He said he felt like things were under control. He had been
concerned a day or so before that things weren't moving quickly but things— he still wanted to get more beds— but
he didn't think it was necessary. He also talked to my Chief of Staff and emailed back and forth with him.
On Sunday night, he sent that email. And that email went out
to a broad audience of people. I know that I mentioned that it
Cjvgj 20. We believe that it was forwarded to even far
https://www.cnn. com/2020/04/06/politics/thomas-modly-transcript/index.html
5/25/2020
Thomas Modly transcript on Capt. Brett Crazier to USS Theodore Roosevelt - CNNPolitics
Related Article: Sailors cheer for aircraft
carrier commander who was removed after
issuing coronavirus warning
• LIVE TV ^ —
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think— it was my opinion, that if he didn't think that
information was going to get out into the public, in this
information age that we live in, then he was A, too naive or too
stupid to be the commanding officer of a ship like this. The
alternative is that he did this on purpose. And that's a serious
violation of the Uniform Code of Military Justice, which you are
all familiar with. That message, and all the contents of that
message was perfectly fine for him to send to people in his
chain of command in a confidential way so they could get
acting on it. He in fact could have given it to me, through my
Chief of Staff, or to me, as I asked him to do when I first
reached out to him on the ship, when we first found out that
there were COVID cases here.
It was a betrayal of trust with me, with his chain of command,
with you, with the 800 to a thousand people who are your shipmates on shore right now, busting their asses every
day to do what they need to do to convert what they do in a normal day to get you guys off of here, get you safe
and get you healthy, get you clean, and get you back on this ship where you are supposed to be.
(INDISTINCT YELLING IN BACKGROUND)
It was betrayal. And I can tell you one other thing: because he did that, he put it in the public's forum, and it's now
become a big controversy in Washington, DC, and across the country [LOW BACKGROUND YELLING: HE WAS
ONLY TRYING TO HELP US] about a martyr CO, who wasn't getting the help he needed and therefore had to go
through the Chain of Command, a chain of command which includes the media. And I'm gonna tell you
something, all of you. There is never a situation where you should consider the media a part of your chain of
command. You can jump the Chain of Command if you want, and take the consequences, you can disobey the
chain of command and take the consequences, but there is no, no situation where you go to the media. Because
the media has an agenda. And the agenda that they have depends on which side of the political aisle they sit. And
I'm sorry that's the way the country is now, but it's the truth. And so they use it to divide us. They use it to
embarrass the Navy. They use it to embarrass you. (INDISTINCT YELLING IN BACKGROUND)
While you're out here dealing with something that this county hasn't had to deal with in over a hundred years, and
the world hasn't ever dealt with anything like this on this scale, the American people believe in you. They think of all
the people in the world that can keep their shit together in something like this— it's the United States Navy
[INDISTINCT BACKGROUND CHATTER THROUGHOUT] and our sailors— and they're stressed. They may be
stressed, they may be tired, they may be scared, but they're keeping their shit together and they're taking care of
their people on the shore who are busting their ass to get them off this ship. They're not taking shots at them.
They're asking, how can we help them? What can we do? How can I help the E3 that works for me? I'm an E4. I'm
concerned. What do I do to help the E2's and E3's that are on this ship? That's your duty. Not to complain.
Everyone's scared about this thing. But I tell you something, if this ship was in combat and there were hypersonic
missiles coming at it, you'd be pretty BLEEP scared too. [BACKGROUND YELLING: WHOA!] But you do your jobs.
And that's what I expect you to do, and that's what I expect every officer on this ship to do, is to do your jobs.
One of the things about his email that bothered me the most was saying that we are not at war. Well we're not
technically at war. But let me tell ya something, the only reason we are dealing with this right now is because a big
authoritarian regime called China was not forthcoming about what was happening with this virus. And they put the
world at risk to protect themselves and to protect their reputations. We don’t do that in the Navy. We are
transparent with each other, in the proper channels, and with each other. And that's what we are supposed to do
and that's what you're expected to do.
I got your list of questions. I'm very, very thankful to have gotten them. I know they're all sincere. I don't think there
is any agenda in any of those. But there's a lot of them and I'm gonna answer every single one of them, but I've
gotta do it respectfully, and I've gotta take some time so you understand all the nuances of the questions you are
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https://www.cnn. com/2020/04/06/politics/thomas-modly-transcript/index.html
5/25/2020
Thomas Modly transcript on Capt. Brett Crazier to USS Theodore Roosevelt - CNNPolitics
politics
• LIVE TV
@
And let me say one other thing, everything I am telling you guys now, I will never, ever, ever throw you guys under
the bus in Washington or anywhere else in the media, anywhere else. And don't, I expect you never to do that to
your shipmates either— the ones on the shore right now who told me that when Captain Crozier's email made it to
the San Francisco Chronicle after working 15 hour days, they were demoralized because they knew what they had
been doing for you guys since the 25th of March to get you guys what you need.
And the other thing you need to understand is we're in Guam. It's a US territory but they have their own
government, and they have their healthcare problems, and they're scared too, just like every other part of the
world. And the Governor of Guam has stuck her neck out big time with their own population to say that she is
willing to open up hotel rooms all over this this country, or this state, this territory, so that sailors from the USS
Teddy Roosevelt can go and be safe. Because she believes that you all are her brothers and sisters, her brothers
and sisters who are protecting this place for her citizens. And so she's willing to put all that at risk to take care of
you guys.
And she told me today when Captain Crozier's letter came out in the public, she had to then deal with all her
constituents— who are saying, "holy crap what's happening? We're going to have 5,000 people with COVID in our
city, without proper health care and everything else."
So think about that when you cheer the man off the ship who exposed you to that. I understand you love the guy.
It's good that you love him. But you're not required to love him.
So I want to share something with you that I read at the Navy Academy graduation in 2018. 1 said it to the
graduating class, but I'm going to expand it a little bit. I said, as officers and sailors of the United States Military, you
are given tremendous responsibility to respect and protect those who are placed under your command. The
American people will trust you with their sons and daughters. And they place their security and the security of our
nation in your hands. Do not expect to be loved by everyone for this— even though it may happen. As Secretary
Mattis my former boss was fond of saying to us who were so honored to work with him in the Pentagon— he said
your job is to protect the nation.
So I'm going to give you a little bit of advice to make this important— and often difficult— job far easier on
yourselves. My best advice to you is don't ever be — don't ever worry about being loved for what you do. Rather, love
the country that you are asked to defend. Love the constitution you pledged your lives to protect.
And importantly, love the people you are ordered to lead. Make sure they eat before you do. Care about their
families as much as your own. Be invested in their success more than your own accomplishments. Nurture their
careers more than you pursue your own advancement. And value their lives to the point that you will always
consider their safety at every single decision you make. It’s only through this level of servant leadership that you will
maximize and empower those you lead to meet the demands that will face us in this century. And those demands
are getting more complicated every day, as we're all learning. But it's also going to accrue incredible personal
satisfaction to you during time of service.
Crew of the Teddy Roosevelt. You are no obligation to love your leadership, only to respect it. You are under no
obligation to like your job, only to do it. You are under no obligation to expect anything from your leaders other than
they will treat you fairly and put the mission of the ship first.
Because it is the mission of the ship that matters. You all know this. But in my view, your Captain lost sight of this
and he compromised critical information about your status intentionally to draw greater attention to your situation.
That was my judgment and I judged that it could not tolerated from the commanding officer of a nuclear aircraft
carrier. This put you at great risk even though I am certain he never thought it would. I'm certain he loved you all, as
he should. But he lost sight of why the TR exists and fate brought you all together in the middle of this COVID crisis.
Your nation back home is struggling. No one expected this pandemic. As we are all working our way through it,
your fellow sailors in the States are volunteering, putting on uniforms and running into the fire in places like New
York, Los Angeles, Dallas, and New Orleans. I've seen them, no fear, running right into COVID.
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Thomas Modly transcript on Capt. Brett Crazier to USS Theodore Roosevelt - CNNPolitics
politics
• LIVE TV
@
But the TR has to stand strong as warriors, not weak like victims. The TR has to work its way through this with
grace, not panic. The TR has to demonstrate to the citizens back home that it has its act together, and that it is
knocking down this virus, just as it would knock down the Chinese or the North Koreans or the Russians if any one
of those nations were ever so stupid enough to mess with the Big Stick, because they thought she was vulnerable.
I cannot control or attempt to change whatever anger you have with me for relieving your beloved CO. If I could
offer you a glimpse of the level of hatred and pure evil that has been thrown my way, my family’s way, over this
decision, I would. But it doesn't matter. It's not about me. The former Vice President of the United States Joe Biden
suggested just yesterday that my decision was criminal. I assure you it was not. [BACKGROUND YELLING: WHAT
ARE YOU...] Because I understand the facts, and those facts show that what your captain did was very, very wrong,
in a moment when we expected him to be the calming force on a turbulent sea.
There was very little upside in this decision for me. You can believe that or not. I made the decision for the Navy I
love, for the Navy I served in, and now serve for. And mostly for the sailors I'm responsible for, not just to you here,
but on nearly 300 other ships in the fleet. Your captain's actions had implications for them too. Imagine if every
other CO also believed that the media was also the proper channel to hear grievances with their chain of
command under difficult circumstances. We would no longer have a Navy. And not longer after that, we'd no
longer have a country.
Still, I understand you may be angry with me for the rest of your lives. I guarantee you won't be alone. But being
angry is not your duty. Your duty is to each other, and to this ship, and to the nation that built it for you to protect
them. Even amidst an unexpected crisis, it is the mission of this ship that matters. Our adversaries are watching,
and that is why we are here. We will get you the help you need. You have my personal word on it. Your CO had my
personal word on that from Day One. Whatever else you may think of me, I don't go back on my word. And when it
comes to the TR, whether you hate me or not, I will never, ever, ever give up this ship and neither should you.
Thanks for listening, and I'll get the detailed answers to your questions to you some time later this week. Go Navy.
Search CNN... Q
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5/25/2020
Captain of U.S.S. Theodore Roosevelt Pleads for Help as Coronavirus Spreads Onboard - The New York Times
S1)C jNeUt i|ork $imcs https://nyti.ms/3bGknLM
Captain of Aircraft Carrier Pleads for Help as Virus Cases Increase
Onboard
“We are not at war,” the captain of the carrier Theodore Roosevelt wrote. “Sailors do not need to die. If we
do not act now, we are failing to properly take care of our most trusted asset — our sailors.”
By Thomas Gibbons-Neff and Helene Cooper
Published March 31, 2020 Updated May 5, 2020
WASHINGTON — The captain of an American aircraft carrier deployed to the Pacific Ocean has
pleaded with the Pentagon for more help as a coronavirus outbreak aboard his ship continues to spread,
officials said Tuesday. Military officials say dozens of sailors have been infected.
In a four-page letter dated Monday, first reported by The San Francisco Chronicle on Tuesday, Capt.
Brett E. Crozier laid out the dire situation unfolding aboard the warship, the Theodore Roosevelt, which
has more than 4,000 crew members. He described what he said were the Navy’s failures to provide him
with the proper resources to combat the virus by moving sailors off the vessel.
“We are not at war,” Captain Crozier wrote. “Sailors do not need to die. If we do not act now, we are
failing to properly take care of our most trusted asset — our sailors.”
The carrier is currently docked in Guam.
Thomas B. Modly, the acting Navy secretary, told CNN in an interview that the Navy was working to
move sailors off the ship — but that there were not enough beds in Guam to accommodate the entire
crew.
“We’re having to talk to the government there to see if we can get some hotel space, create some tent-
type facilities there,” Mr. Modly said. “We’re doing it in a very methodical way because it’s not the same
as a cruise ship.”
Speaking to reporters Tuesday night, the commander of the Pacific Fleet, Adm. John C. Aquilino, said
that “we’re welcoming feedback” regarding the requests outlined by Captain Crozier.
Admiral Aquilino said that crew members would be rotated off the carrier for testing and quarantine
before returning aboard. The intent, he said, was to keep the ship ready to carry out its missions. He
said that no crew members had been hospitalized thus far, but he declined to specify the number of
infections.
In his letter, Captain Crozier had recommended offloading his entire crew, and then quarantining and
testing them while the ship was professionally cleaned^
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Captain of USS Theodore Roosevelt Pleads for Help as Coronavirus Spreads Onboard - The New York Times
The problem aboard the Roosevelt highlights a central dilemma facing the military: Top officials, who
have spent years placing readiness to fight the next war as a top priority, are now finding that
maintaining that readiness during a pandemic can endanger the health, and even the lives, of service
members. At the same time that Americans are being told to stay at home and practice “social
distancing” in public, many service members are instead being told to continue doing their jobs.
The mixed messages have emerged across the armed services. Last week, the Army ordered a halt to
most training, exercises and nonessential activities that require troops to be in close contact, but
abruptly reversed itself days later, even as the infection rate in the American military rose. Defense
Secretary Mark T. Esper has insisted that the armed forces find a way to protect troops from the
rampaging virus while performing the military’s essential operations.
The crisis aboard the Roosevelt played out like a slow-moving disaster and highlights the dangers to the
Pentagon if the coronavirus manages to infiltrate some of its most important assets, such as bomber
fleets, elite Special Operations units and the talisman of American military power, aircraft carriers.
In a statement, a Navy official said that the commanding officer of the Roosevelt “alerted leadership in
the Pacific Fleet on Sunday evening of continuing challenges in isolating the virus.”
“The ship’s commanding officer advocated for housing more members of the crew in facilities that allow
for better isolation,” the statement said. “Navy leadership is moving quickly to take all necessary
measures to ensure the health and safety of the crew of U.S.S. Theodore Roosevelt, and is pursuing
options to address the concerns raised by the commanding officer.”
At its core, the issue on the Roosevelt and other warships stems from the near impossibility of putting
adequate social distance among people to stop the spread of the illness. The enormous ship, about 20
stories high, is its own city, but one with an extremely dense population.
Life aboard the Roosevelt means learning to live on top of other people: Many of the berths where
sailors sleep include bunk beds. Hallways and doorways are cramped. Bathrooms and cafeterias are
shared areas. Low ceilings and narrow, ladderlike stairwells that require the use of hands to maneuver
up and down all contribute to an ever-present opportunity to spread the virus.
The flight deck of the Roosevelt, on the other hand, is enormous. The Navy likes to describe its carriers
as five acres of sovereign territory. But the Navy imposes strict limits on how many people can be on
the flight deck at any time.
Navy officials have acknowledged the dangers that ships pose during an outbreak of an infectious
disease. As the world has seen with cruise ships, viruses can spread with frightening ease aboard these
vessels. That is one reason Navy officials have been doing all they can to keep the hospital ship Comfort
virus-free during its current mission in New York, where it is taking patients with other medical
problems to relieve hospitals overrun by coronavirus patients.
The Coronavirus Outbreak >
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Captain of U.S.S. Theodore Roosevelt Pleads for Help as Coronavirus Spreads Onboard - The New York Times
Frequently Asked Questions and Advice
Updated May 20, 2020
• How can I protect myself while flying?
If air travel is unavoidable, there are some steps you can take to protect
yourself. Most important: Wash your hands often, and stop touching your face.
If possible, choose a window seat. A study from Emory University found that
during flu season, the safest place to sit on a plane is by a window, as people
sitting in window seats had less contact with potentially sick people. Disinfect
hard surfaces. When you get to your seat and your hands are clean, use
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READ MORE V
In his letter, Captain Crozier clearly outlined the challenge. “None of the berthing aboard a warship is
appropriate for quarantine or isolation,” he wrote.
A senior Navy official on Sunday sought to play down the urgency of the situation on the Roosevelt,
saying that while it was unfortunate, most of the reported symptoms among the sickened sailors and
other crew members had been mild.
Mr. Modly, the acting Navy secretary, defended the ship’s decision to have made a port call in Da Nang,
Vietnam, despite the spread of the virus across Asia. He said that, at the time, coronavirus cases in
Vietnam numbered fewer than 100 and were in the north of the country, around Hanoi. Port calls for
Navy ships have since been canceled.
Maj. Gen. Jeff Taliaferro, the vice director for operations with the Joint Chiefs of Staff, acknowledged on
Monday that there had been news reports about the coronavirus aboard the Roosevelt. He declined to
go into details for security reasons, he said.
But, echoing a line that the military has consistently taken during the pandemic, General Taliaferro
insisted that the Roosevelt could nonetheless perform its missions. If the Roosevelt had to sail
immediately, he told reporters on a conference call, it was “ready to sail.”
Eric Schmitt contributed reporting.
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Battling an outbreak, captain of USS Theodore Roosevelt asks Navy to evacuate crew - The Washington Post
SElje toasljington Jtost
Democracy Dies in Darkness
Coronavirus Live updates U.S. map World map Reopening tracker Lives lost Your life a
+
Battling an outbreak, captain of aircraft carrier
asks Navy to evacuate crew
By Missy Ryan. Dan Lamothe and Paul Sonne
March 31, 2020 at 10:20 p.m. EDT
The captain of a U.S. aircraft carrier grappling with a coronavirus outbreak made an
unusual appeal to the Navy to move thousands of sailors into quarantine on shore,
illustrating the difficulty of containing the virus on crowded military vessels.
In a March 30 letter first made public by the San Francisco Chronicle, Navy Capt.
Brett Crozier, commanding officer of the USS Theodore Roosevelt, asked that
90 percent of the ship’s crew of more than 4,000 sailors be moved into isolation on
Guam, where the ship has been located since a spate of novel coronavirus infections
emerged on board.
“Decisive action is required. Removing the majority of personnel from a deployed
U.S. nuclear aircraft carrier and isolating them for two weeks may seem like an
extraordinary measure,” he wrote. “We are not at war. Sailors do not need to die. If
we do not act now, we are failing to properly take care of our most trusted asset —
our sailors.”
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Battling an outbreak, captain of USS Theodore Roosevelt asks Navy to evacuate crew - The Washington Post
AD
The ship, which in recent months had been conducting operations in Asia, pulled
into port late last week in Guam, where infected sailors and others who had close
contact with them were moved onshore for monitoring or treatment. It had
previously made a port stop in Vietnam, though it is not clear whether sailors were
initially infected there.
While the Navy has since announced plans to test the Roosevelt’s entire crew,
Crozier said that step would be inadequate because, he said, it would be impossible
to implement government isolation and distancing guidelines aboard a carrier.
“Due to a warship’s inherent limitations of space, we are not doing this. The spread
of the disease is ongoing and accelerating,” he wrote.
AD
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Battling an outbreak, captain of USS Theodore Roosevelt asks Navy to evacuate crew - The Washington Post
Crozier enumerated some of the problematic elements of life abroad a carrier:
shared bathrooms, shared sleeping quarters, group mealtimes, work tasks that
require individuals to remain in proximity, ladders and other surfaces that are
frequently touched as crew members move around the ship.
A fifth of those initially diagnosed with the vims, Crozier said, had tested negative
one to three days before coming down with symptoms.
In his letter, Crozier proposed that approximately 10 percent of the crew remain on
board to tend to the ship’s nuclear reactor and take care of other core duties. To
bolster his case, the captain cited research showing how conditions aboard the
Diamond Princess cruise ship, the site of an earlier outbreak, allowed the virus to
spread at an accelerated rate.
AD
It was not immediately clear to whom the letter was addressed or who would grant
permission for such a move. The Roosevelt is one of ll American aircraft carriers.
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5/25/2020
Battling an outbreak, captain of USS Theodore Roosevelt asks Navy to evacuate crew - The Washington Post
The predicament facing naval commanders is just one aspect of the challenge in
front of Pentagon leaders as they seek to help civilian authorities respond to the
coronavirus crisis in the United States, while also maintaining overseas security
missions and minimizing the disease’s effect on service members.
Thomas Modly, the acting Navy secretary, said in an interview on CNN that he
heard about Crozier’s letter Tuesday morning.
“We’ve been working actually the last several days to move those sailors off the
ship, and to get them into accommodations in Guam,” Modly said. “The problem is
that Guam doesn’t have enough beds right now, and so we’re having to talk to the
government there to see if we can get some hotel space or create some tent-like
facilities there.”
AD
Modly said Navy leadership “does not disagree” with Crozier but wants to handle
the situation in a methodical way.
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Battling an outbreak, captain of USS Theodore Roosevelt asks Navy to evacuate crew - The Washington Post
Evacuating a warship is not the same as taking passengers off a cruise ship, he said,
citing the need to watch over weapons and be prepared to fight fires aboard the
ship. The Navy is moving to accelerate the testing of those aboard the vessel and
wants to clean the entire carrier, he said.
“We’re absolutely accelerating it,” Modly said.
Defense Secretary Mark T. Esper said Tuesday night on CBS News that he had not
yet read Crozier’s letter but that “I don’t think we’re at that point” where it makes
sense to evacuate the ship.
AD
Navy officials did not immediately provide a current number for how many of the
Roosevelt’s crew have tested positive for the disease. The Chronicle, citing a senior
officer aboard the ship, said that more than too sailors have tested positive. Navy
officials said previously that dozens of cases were confirmed.
A Navy official, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss an evolving
situation, said Crozier had alerted leaders of the militaiy’s Pacific Fleet on Sunday
to “continuing challenges in isolating the virus,” urging the Navy to place more of
the ship’s crew in facilities that allow for greater isolation.
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Battling an outbreak, captain of USS Theodore Roosevelt asks Navy to evacuate crew - The Washington Post
James Stavridis, a retired Navy admiral, said in an email that naval vessels are
“ideal breeding grounds for the spread of viruses” because it is impossible to do
social distancing on them. The problem, he said, is compounded because the service
cannot just tie up the carrier and send everyone ashore.
AD
“It is full of weapons, billions of dollars of equipment, fire hazards and nuclear
reactors,” he said.
There is a critical need for testing and getting those known to be infected ashore
immediately, Stavridis added. Reducing the crew also will help space out sailors.
But Stavridis said U.S. officials should expect similar incidents in the future.
“The best advice for the Pacific Fleet and indeed the entire U.S. Navy is test, test
and test,” and then remove those infected as soon as possible, he said.
As ships with infections come offline, other ships must be surged forward to replace
them, said Stavridis, who is an operating executive with the Carlyle Group
investment firm.
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5/25/2020
Battling an outbreak, captain of USS Theodore Roosevelt asks Navy to evacuate crew - The Washington Post
AD
In a conference call with reporters, the commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet, Adm.
John C. Aqnilino, said Tuesday that the Navy will continue to take care of sailors
aboard the Roosevelt and that his top priority is their health. So far, no sailors have
required hospitalization, he said.
Asked about the captain’s letter, Aquilino said he is “welcoming feedback” during a
dynamic situation and wants to “make sure that we understand what the leader on
the ground needs.”
Aquilino said the Navy has been working toward what it believes the crew needs,
and toward having the capacity to quarantine a large number of sailors. He is
“optimistic” that the ability to do so will be delivered “shortly,” he said, without
providing a more specific timeline. But Aquilino said there “has never been an
intent” to take all sailors off the ship, and that if the carrier needed to respond to a
crisis today, it would.
AD
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5/25/2020
Battling an outbreak, captain of USS Theodore Roosevelt asks Navy to evacuate crew - The Washington Post
In his letter, Crozier also said the Roosevelt could embark and light immediately if
required.
“But in combat we are willing to take certain risks that are not acceptable in
peacetime," he wrote.
The mother and father of a sailor on the ship who tested positive for the
coronavirus said in an interview with The Washington Post that despite the
leadership of the carrier ringing alarm bells, higher-ups at the Navy had been
“dragging their feet.”
The parents, who spoke on the condition that their names not be used to avoid
identifying their child, said the Navy should have immediately tested the entire
crew and separated those who tested positive to contain the outbreak.
Instead, they said, their child tried for days to get a test and was denied, despite
having interacted with someone known to have come down with the virus. Only
after their child was showing full-blown symptoms was a test offered. When it came
back positive, their child was removed from the ship and put in military base
housing in Guam.
The Navy first evacuated essential personnel, including those without symptoms,
according to the parents. Only afterward were some sailors who weren’t “essential”
to the ship’s operations given the possibility to disembark.
“What it boils down to is why didn’t they test eveiyone right away?” the mother of
the sailor said, adding that an effort to test the entire ship immediately could have
helped contain the outbreak after it first became apparent.
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5/25/2020
'Sailors do not need to die,' warns captain of coronavims-hit U.S. aircraft carrier - Reuters
REUTERS
Q
HEALTH NEWS
MARCH 31, 2020 / 1:01 PM / 2 MONTHS AGO
'Sailors do not need to die,' warns captain of coronavirus-hit
U.S. aircraft carrier
Idrees Ali, PM Stewart
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The captain of the U.S. aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt, in a
blunt letter, has called on Navy leadership for stronger measures to save the lives of his sailors
and stop the spread of the coronavirus aboard the huge ship.
The four-page letter, the contents of which were confirmed by U.S. officials to Reuters on
Tuesday, described a bleak situation onboard the nuclear-powered carrier as more sailors test
positive for the virus.
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5/25/2020
'Sailors do not need to die,' warns captain of coronavirus-hit U.S. aircraft carrier - Reuters
The Navy puts the ship’s complement at 5,000, the equivalent of a small American town.
The letter was first reported by the San Francisco Chronicle.
Captain Brett Crozier, the ship’s commanding officer, wrote that the carrier lacked enough
quarantine and isolation facilities and warned the current strategy would slow but fail to
eradicate the highly contagious respiratory virus.
In the letter dated Monday, he called for “decisive action” and removing over 4,000 sailors
from the ship and isolating them. Along with the ship’s crew, naval aviators and others serve
aboard the Roosevelt.
“We are not at war. Sailors do not need to die. If we do not act now, we are failing to properly
take care of our most trusted asset - our sailors,” Crozier wrote.
U.S. officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Reuters that nearly 80 people aboard
the ship had tested positive for the coronavirus, a number likely to increase as all personnel on
the ship are tested.
Still, the Navy declined to confirm exactly how many people aboard the Roosevelt had been
infected
The carrier was in the Pacific when the Navy reported its first coronavirus case a week ago. It
has since pulled into port in Guam, a U.S. island territory in the western Pacific.
U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper said on Tuesday it was not time to evacuate the carrier,
adding he had not read the letter in detail.
In an interview with CBS News, Esper did not comment directly on Crozier’s proposal, at least
in the portions that aired. Asked if it was time to evacuate the carrier, Esper said: “I don’t think
we’re at that point.”
Admiral John Aquilino, head of the U.S. Navy’s Pacific Fleet, told reporters that the plan was to
take some sailors off the ship, test and quarantine them, clean the ship and then rotate them
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'Sailors do not need to die,' warns captain of coronavims-hit U.S. aircraft carrier - Reuters
with those on the carrier.
He said that there would be some sailors who would be in quarantine and isolation on the
vessel.
Asked if he was following what the ship’s captain wanted to do, but was not able to do it at the
pace the commanding officer wanted, Aquilino said: “That is absolutely the case.”
"NOT THE SAME AS A CRUISE SHIP'
Acting U.S. Navy Secretary Thomas Modly said he had heard about the letter on Tuesday
morning and that the Navy had been working for several days to get the sailors off the ship in
Guam. Modly said Guam did not have enough beds and the Navy was in talks with the local
government to use hotels and set up tents.
“We don’t disagree with the (commanding officer) on that ship, and we’re doing it in a very
methodical way because it’s not the same as a cruise ship ... that ship has armaments on it, it
has aircraft on it,” he said on CNN.
Reuters reported last week that the U.S. military had decided it would stop providing some of
the more mission-specific data about coronavirus infections within its ranks, citing concern
the information might be used by adversaries as the virus spreads.
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'Sailors do not need to die,' warns captain of coronavims-hit U.S. aircraft carrier - Reuters
FILE PHOTO: The USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71) is seen while entering into the port in Da Nang, Vietnam, March
5, 2020. REUTERS/Kham
The Roosevelt is just the latest example of the spread of the virus within the U.S. military.
Navy officials say that sailors onboard a number of ships have tested positive, including an
amphibious assault ship at port in San Diego.
The first U.S. military service member, a New Jersey Army National Guardsman, died on
Saturday from COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, the Pentagon said on
Monday.
As of Tuesday, 673 active-duty service members had tested positive for the coronavirus, an
increase of more than 100 from the previous day, the Pentagon said in a statement.
Reporting by Idrees Ali and Phil Stewart; Additional reporting by Susan Heavey; Editing by Jonathan Oatis
and Peter Cooney
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
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Coronaviras: US Navy captain pleads for help over outbreak - BBC News
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Coronavirus: US Navy captain pleads for help over outbreak
31 March 2020 <
Coronavirus pandemic
The captain of a US aircraft carrier carrying more than 4,000 crew has called for urgent
help to halt a coronavirus outbreak on his ship.
Scores of people on board the Theodore Roosevelt have tested positive for the infection. The
carrier is currently docked in Guam.
"We are not at war. Sailors do not need to die," Captain Brett Crozier wrote in a letter to the
Pentagon.
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Coronavirus: US Navy captain pleads for help over outbreak - BBC News
Captain Crazier recommended quarantining almost the entire crew.
In the letter Captain Crazier said that with large numbers of sailors living in confined spaces on
the carrier isolating sick individuals was impossible.
The coronavirus' spread was now "ongoing and accelerating", he warned, in the letter dated 30
March.
"Decisive action is needed," he said.
"Removing the majority of personnel from a deployed US nuclear aircraft carrier and isolating
them for two weeks may seem like an extraordinary measure. This is a necessary risk."
It is not clear how many crew members on the Theodore Roosevelt have the coronavirus. The
San Francisco Chronicle, which first reported on the letter, said at least 100 sailors were
infected.
Speaking to Reuters news agency, a US Navy spokesman said the service was "moving
quickly to take all necessary measures to ensure the health and safety of the crew of USS
Theodore Roosevelt".
■ THE LATEST: Live updates
■ A SIMPLE GUIDE: What are the symptoms?
■ AVOIDING CONTACT: Should I self-isolate?
■ STRESS: How to protect your mental health
■ VIDEO The 20-second hand wash
What's the situation in the US?
On Tuesday the coronavirus death toll in the US passed the figure reported in China, where
the outbreak began. At least 3,400 have died.
The number of recorded cases stands at over 175,000, more than any other country,
according to a tally from Johns Hopkins University.
New York state has seen the largest number of infections and its governor, Andrew Cuomo,
warned the peak was still to come.
"We're still going up the mountain, the main battle is on the top of the mountain," he said.
Field hospitals are being built in Central Park and other New York landmarks to help ease the
pressure on the city's health system.
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https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-cauada-52 1 1 0298
5/25/2020
Coronaviras: US Navy captain pleads for help over outbreak - BBC News
Related Topics
Coronavirus pandemic Guam United States US Armed Forces
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Johnson 'regrets confusion' over aide lockdown row
Chief aide Dominic Cummings admits to lockdown trips but says he does not regret his
actions.
25 May 2020
I don't regret what I did, says Cummings
25 May 2020
H-4-128
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-52 1 1 0298
5/25/2020
5/25/2020
Theodore Roosevelt captain makes urgent plea for individual quarantine sites as COVID-19 cases multiply
Your Military
Theodore Roosevelt captain makes urgent plea for individual quarantine
sites as COVID-19 cases multiply
Diana Stancy Correll and Valerie Insinna 0 March 31
The carrier Theodore Roosevelt is pulling in to Guam to try and stop an outbreak of COVID-19 on board (U.S.
Navy photo by MC3 Nicholas Huynh)
The commanding officer of aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt is urging the Navy to step up its
response to COVID-19 and secure individualized isolation for the ship’s crew as COVID-19
cases aboard the ship continue to multiply, according to a new report.
While most of the Roosevelt crew remains in cramped quarters aboard the carrier, a small
percentage of sailors are starting to move into group quarantine sites on shore in Guam to
limit the spread of the virus — and only one of these sites is in compliance with NAVADMIN
guidance.
As a result, current efforts to combat COVID-19 are inadequate, according to the Roosevelt’s
commanding officer Capt. Brett Crozier.
H-4-129
https://www.militarytimes.com/news/ycxjr-navy/2020/03/31/theodore-roosevelt-captain-makes-urgent-plea-for-indlvidual-quarantine-sites-as-covld-19-c...
5/25/2020
Theodore Roosevelt captain makes urgent plea for individual quarantine sites as COVID-19 cases multiply
Crozier argued that the group quarantine sites would merely delay the spread of COVID-19 in a
letter to Navy officials on Monday, obtained by the San Francisco Chronicle. Likewise, he
noted that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Navy and Marine Corps
Public Health Center advise against group quarantine, and instead suggest individual
quarantine.
“Sailors do not need to die,” Crozier wrote in the letter. “If we do not act now, we are failing to
properly take care of our most trusted asset — our Sailors.”
Crozier said the situation would be different in a time of conflict, because “in combat we are
willing to take certain risks that are not acceptable in peacetime.”
“However, we are not at war, and therefore cannot allow a single Sailor to perish as a result of
this pandemic unnecessarily,” Crozier wrote. “Decisive action is required now in order to
comply with CDC and (Navy) guidance and prevent tragic outcomes.”
The Navy first announced on March 24 that three sailors aboard the carrier had tested positive
for COVID-19, and Navy officials told Navy Times 40 sailors had tested positive for the virus as
of Monday.
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But those numbers could be much higher. An anonymous senior officer on the Roosevelt told
the San Francisco Chronicle that as many as 200 sailors aboard the Roosevelt had tested
positive for COVID-10.
According to Crozier, there are two options moving forward: either fail to achieve a COVID-19-
free ship and “fight sick,” or strictly follow guidelines from the CDC to wipe out COVID-19
from the ship.
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5/25/2020
Theodore Roosevelt captain makes urgent plea for individual quarantine sites as COVID-19 cases multiply
Under Crozier’s proposal, approximately 10 percent of the Roosevelt crew would remain on
board to operate the reactor plant and sanitize the ship, among other things. The rest would be
individually isolated off the ship.
“Removing the majority of personnel from a deployed U.S. nuclear aircraft carrier and
isolating them for two weeks may seem like an extraordinary measure. ... This is a necessary
risk,” Crozier wrote. “Keeping over 4,000 young men and women on board the TR is an
unnecessary risk and breaks faith with those Sailors entrusted to our care.”
The Pacific Fleet did not respond to a request for comment from the San Francisco Chronicle
before deadline, and did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Military
Times.
In an interview with CBS News reporter Norah O’Donnell Tuesday night, Defense Secretary
Mark Esper said he hadn’t read Crozier’s letter, but did not think the ship need to be
evacuated.
Acting Secretary of the Navy Thomas said that the Navy “doesn’t disagree” with Crozier, and
noted that the Navy has been working to remove sailors from the Roosevelt for days. But
limited space in Guam is created some challenges, he said.
“The problem is that Guam doesn’t have enough beds right now, so we’re having to talk to the
government there to see if we can get some hotel space, create some tent-type facilities there,”
Modly said in an interview with CNN Tuesday.
Likewise, Modly stressed how detailed the process is to ensure that the carrier is sanitized
correctly.
“The key is to make sure that we can get a set of crew members that can man all those critical
functions on the ship, make sure they’re clean, get them back on, clean the ship, and get the
other crew members off,” Modly said. “And that’s the process we’re going through. It’s veiy
methodical. We’re absolutely accelerating it as we go.”
„ CNN Newsroom
@CNNnewsroom
Acting Navy Secretary Thomas Modly on balancing the safety of
the force while battling with coronavirus: “We all have one
mission and that’s to defend the nation. This is a unique
circumstances and we’re working through it.”cnn.it/33ZW0GI
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5/25/2020
Theodore Roosevelt captain makes urgent plea for individual quarantine sites as COVID-19 cases multiply
Los Angeles
CORONAVIRUS
PANDEMIC
TOTAL CASES
809,608
DEATHS
39,545
TMI UNITED STATES
TOTAL CASES
173,120
DEATHS
3,392
ESPER: "CONFIDENT CORONAVIRUS WONT IMPACT NATIONAL SECURITY MISSIONS
Thomas Modly Acting Secretary, U.S. Navy
50 1:08 PM -Mar 31, 2020
55 people are talking about this
U.S. Transportation Command commander Army Gen. Stephen Lyons told reporters Tuesday
he has not yet received a requirement to send test kits or medical supplies and personnel to
the Roosevelt. When asked who would send a request for aid to the Roosevelt, Lyons said that
the Navy has significant capacity to fulfill the mission.
“But they have a lot of capacity,” Lyons said. "I can’t speak as to what that looks like on the
ground so I won’t speculate as to what the requirements might be, but we’re certainly prepared
to support them.”
Fox News reported on Friday that the carrier Ronald Reagan also had two cases of COVID-19.
The carrier is the fleet’s only forward-deployed carrier in the Pacific, and leaves the door open
for a situation where both U.S. aircraft carriers in the Asia Pacific region are sidelined.
In response to the first cases on the carrier, Modly announced Thursday that the deployed
Roosevelt would head to Guam.
“We found several more cases,” Modly told reporters Thursday. "We are in the process of
testing 100 percent of the crew of that ship.”
“Nobody from the ship will be allowed to leave the ship other than on the pier,” Modly said.
At the time, Modly said all of the sailors were experiencing mild symptoms and none had been
hospitalized. The senior officer aboard the Roosevelt echoed similar sentiments to the San
Francisco Chronicle.
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5/25/2020
Theodore Roosevelt captain makes urgent plea for individual quarantine sites as COVID-19 cases multiply
After the initial cases on the Roosevelt were detected, Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Michael
Gilday said the service was bracing for additional cases.
“We’re taking this day by day,” Gilday said.
“Our top two priorities are taking care of our people and maintaining mission readiness,”
Gilday said. “Both of those go hand in glove.”
As of Tuesday, the Pentagon has reported 673 COVID-19 cases among service members. New
Jersey Army National Guard soldier Capt. Douglas Linn Hickok became the first sendee
member to die of the virus on Saturday, according to the Pentagon.
Militai'y Times Pentagon bureau chief Meghann Myers contributed to this story.
Recommended For You
Around The Web
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Governor: 'One Guam' approach needed to defeat virus
Steve Limtiaco, Pacific Daily News USA TODAY NETWORK Published 11:12am ChT March 31, 2020
Guam must act as one - civilian and military - to overcome the coronavirus pandemic, Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero said in a letter Monday to several
community organizations.
Eight local community groups on Sunday sent the governor a letter, stating they are concerned about 36 cases of COVID-19 on the USS Theodore
Roosevelt, which is now docked on Guam, as well as reports of airmen who have been going to and from work during their 14-day quarantine at the
Guam Reef Hotel. They said the governor should urge the military to keep all positive COVID-19 patients on base until they are clear. They also said
military personnel and contractors exposed to a COVID-19 patient should be quarantined on base for 14 days, regardless of their mission-essential
status.
Concerns of community
"In this time of crisis, we find it deeply alarming that the Department of Defense appears to inform you and GovGuam leadership of decisions after-the-
fact instead of working with you to determine the best possible safety measures in our community’s best interests," the letter stated. "We are concerned
that their approach to exclude you from being a valued voice in critical decision-making will place more of our people, especially our manamko’, at risk."
“I think I have the full cooperation of the military in protecting our island and in protecting their people and our people also,” the governor said during a
press conference Monday.
She said many of the actions requested by community groups already are in place. The Roosevelt crew is quarantined at the pier, the military is testing all
sailors using its own test kits, and the movements of mission-essential personnel who go to work are being restricted, she said.
'Many of the same concerns'
In her letter, Leon Guerrero said many people from Guam serve in the military, including nearly 20 sailors on the USS Theodore Roosevelt. Many Guam
residents shop on base, she said. "I will not support any policy that makes it harder for them to survive outside the fence,” she wrote.
“Because we share many of the same concerns, I speak with Joint Region Marianas on a near daily basis. Our enemy is invisible and relentless. The
virus does not discriminate and it cannot be stopped by borders or a fence. We are all at risk. Defeating it demands that we are truly one Guam, in words
and in action,” she said Monday.
The following groups signed off on Sunday’s letter to the governor: I Hagan Famalao’an Guahan; Manhoben Para Guahan; Guahan Coalition for Peace
and Justice; GCC EcoWarriors; Independent Guahan; Prutehi Litekyan; Micronesia Climate Change Alliance; Duk Duk Goose Inc. / Nihi.
Read or Share this story: https://www.guampdn.com/story/news/local/2020/03/31/governor-one-guam-approach-needed-defeat-virus/2938329001/
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/
THE SECRETARY OF THE NAVY
WASHINGTON DC 20350-1000
April 7, 2020
MEMORANDUM FOR DISTRIBUTION
SUBJECT: SECNAV VECTOR 19
Before I start I want you all to know that I never, ever thought Vector 19 would be my
final vector to you. I actually thought it was going to be around Vector 9! That being said, I am
incredibly honored to have ever had the chance to have written even Vector 1.
This past week has been what I have been talking to you about all along — what we can
best predict about the future is that it will be unpredictable. No doubt you have all monitored the
events this week which placed our Navy hi the spotlight in a negative way — largely due to my
poor use of words yesterday on the USS THEODORE ROOSEVELT (TR). You are justified in
being angry with me about that. There is no excuse, but perhaps a glimpse of understanding, and
hopefully empathy.
I have been monitoring the crew of the TR and all of ships with coronavirus (CO\TD-19)
cases closely. I have personally spoken with the Commanding Officer (CO) of every ship and
installation in which we have such cases. When I walked on the quarterdeck of the TR I lost
situational awareness and decided to speak with them as if I was their commander, or their
shipmate, rather than then Secretary. They deserved better, and I hope that over the passage of
time that they will understand the words themselves rather than the manner in which they were
delivered. But what’s done is done. I can’t take it back, and frankly I don’t know if I walked
back up that quarterdeck today if I wouldn’t have the same level of emotions that drove my
delivery yesterday.
The crew deserved a lot more empathy and a lot less lecturing — I lost sight of that at the
time and I am deeply sorry for some of the words and for how they were spread across the media
landscape like a wildfire. I had hoped to transmit a message of love, and duty, and mission, and
courage in the face of adversity. Those words are in there, but they are now lost, because of me,
and I will regret that for the rest of my life. But, I am not a football head coach, or a master
chief, or even the ship’s own CO, I am the Secretary of the Navy and you, and they, should
expect more out of me. I own it.
I realize that I have consistently told each and every one of you “Don’t Ever, Ever Give
Up the Ship.” That is why it is veiy important for me to communicate to you why I have
submitted my resignation today. We all have to understand what our ship is. I love the Navy
and Marine Corps. I love our coimtry, and I love you. You are all on my one big ship. But the
ramifications of mistakes, even simple ones, when someone is char ged with protecting a ship that
large and that important can be fatal. It is not jrrst missiles that can take xrs down, words can do it
too, if we aren’t careful with how and when we use them.
H-4-131
SUBJECT: SECNAV VECTOR 19
My lack of situational awareness due to my emotions of the moment did the exact same
thing to MY ship, as I would hold you accountable for as you lead yours. I brought incoming
fire onto our team and I am convinced that the fire will continue unrelentingly until the target is
gone. I know what I have to do save the ship. I have always tried to do the right thing for all of
you. Always. I never cared about the title, I cared about the relationships. I trust you all know
that and that you know how terribly sad I am right now that I disappointed you by not keeping
our ship out of harm’s way. It’s my fault. I own it.
Now on to the vector:
In the classic hard rock satire “rock-umentary” movie called “This is Spinal Tap,” there is
a scene in which the lead guitarist, Nigel Tufnil, played by Christopher Guest, is explaining how
their band is able to take their sound to the next level. He shows the interviewer, played by Rob
Reiner, the Spinal Tap amplifiers and explains that instead of going to volume level 10 like all
other traditional hard rock amplifiers, Spinal Tap’s amplifiers have an extra level of volume —
volume level 11. The interviewer says, “well instead of having 1 1 why don’t you make each
individual level just a little louder than the traditional amplifier — so you know make the 1 a little
louder, the 2 a little louder, the 3 a little louder, etc., up to 10?” Nigel looks at him with the
apparent inability to grasp the concept of doing something different than the way he has always
done it. He pauses, dumbfounded, and simply says, “But, these go to 11.”
https ://www .youtube .co m/watch?v=KOQ5 S4vxi0o
Does this sound like a familiar story to you? How many times in your Navy or Marine
Corps career have you thought about, or even suggested, a different, better way of doing things
and the response has been, “Well, that’s not how we do it?” I guarantee that this has happened to
you more than once. If not, you must not be in the Department of the Navy and you should not
be on the distribution list for this email!
Don’t worry, this happens everywhere. People and organizations are resistant to change.
Change is uncomfortable. The important point is that phrases like “this is how we do it in the
Navy” or “this is how we do it in the Marine Corps” can be dual-edged swords. There is great
value in stability, in tradition, in order, in a consistent way of doing things that we must respect
and appreciate. But when it stifles the characteristics of agility that I have spoken to you about
before (velocity, visibility, adaptability, innovation, collaboration, trust, humility, and
skepticism), those same “this is how we do it” phrases can erode a team’s ability to win in a
dynamic and rapidly changing environment - like the one that we are in.
I want to focus on one of these characteristics specifically this week: visibility.
Visibility is all about communications up, and perhaps more importantly, down the chain of
command. Visibility is also about knowing when and how to appropriately consult and
communicate laterally across the organization. For our Navy and Marine Corps team, it must
never be about sharing operationally sensitive information for the world to see about your ship,
your unit, your acquisition program, your team, your concerns about readiness, your personal
views about your command, etc.
2
H-4-131
SUBJECT: SECNAV VECTOR 19
In my previous line of work with a big consulting firm, we prided ourselves for being a
learning organization. We had training and learning requirements that put us through a variety of
different legal, moral, operational, customer, ethical, and leadership challenges. As each
challenge was presented, and possible answers discussed, invariably the first thing that was cited
that we should do was to “consult.” This did not mean go out and sell a consulting project to a
client, rather it meant “consult” with others across the organization, up and down, to seek the
best solution to specific problems. It was amazing to me how empowering this was. How much I
could learn if I put myself out there to seek it without fear of retribution or resentment.
In 2010, with that same firm, I was leading a project team in Baghdad assisting U.S.
forces with the economic development mission in the country. Out of the blue, in the spring of
2010, my DoD client asked us to split the team and send half to Afghanistan to help the Ministry
of Mines develop an official tendering process for its minerals industry. This is a process
nation’s use to sell national mineral rights to mining companies. No one on that team had any
experience in mining, but the request was urgent. We “consulted.” I reached out broadly to my
partners in the US firm, who connected me to our US mining practice leader, who then
connected us to our global mining practice leader in London, who then connected us to the most
experienced team in the world, with respect to tendering in lesser developed countries. Within
days we had the most experienced team in the world engaged in Afghanistan. “Consulting”
works. It empowers teams. It is a force multiplier.
In the military culture we must sustain the sanctity of the chain of command. But in the
information age in which we all live, that sanctity is only useful to our mission if we use that
chain for frequent communications up and down, even if this means skipping steps down if you
are the highest responsible person at the top of that chain. The world is moving too fast to do
otherwise.
The events of the last several weeks with respect to my decision to relieve the CO of the
USS THEODORE ROOSEVELT indicate to me that we have some work to do in this regard, so
you must pick up the mantle and fix this. No person should ever be afraid of bringing up issues
of concern to their immediate superiors through an established and well understood path that
respects both the chain of command and our own individual duty to fulfill our oaths. And, no
commander should ever resent or discourage anyone senior in their chain of command from
reaching down to gain better situational awareness from the people closest to the problem. That
being said, there is a proper, courteous, and respectful way to do this that we must adhere to,
especially during times of crisis.
I know we can do this, it just takes a willingness to recognize it is important. And the
next time someone says to you “that’s not the way we do it”, think to yourself, “these go to 1 1”,
smile politely, and then apply yourself even harder to seek a better way.
I love you all. Know that every second of every minute of every hour of every day of my
time leading you has been an honor and a privilege, and I grateful for your friendship,
mentorship, and willingness to listen and act on my behalf.
3
H-4-131
SUBJECT: SECNAV VECTOR 19
You know what to do. Take the helm. It’s your ship now. Don’t ever, ever, ever give it
up. And forever, Beat Army!
SECNAV Vectors are released each Friday to the entire DON. Previous Vectors can be viewed
https://navvlive.dodlive.mil/2020/01/02/secnav-vectors/.
SECNAV
SECNAV
SECNAV
SECNAV
SECNAV
SECNAV
SECNAV
SECNAV
SECNAV
SECNAV
SECNAV
SECNAV
SECNAV
SECNAV
SECNAV
SECNAV
SECNAV
SECNAV
VECTOR 1: Priorities and Near-Term Objectives
VECTOR 2: Unified in Grief, Heroism, and Resolve
VECTOR 3: Make Ford Ready
VECTOR 4: December Honors and Remembrance
VECTOR 5: DON Business Operations Plan
VECTOR 6: Path to a 355 Plus Integrated Naval Force
VECTOR 7: Education for Seapower
VECTOR 8: Partners and Allies
VECTOR 9: Hypersonic Capabilities
VECTOR 10: Sexual Assault Prevention and Response
VECTOR 11: Naval Information Strategy
VECTOR 12: Future Naval Force
VECTOR 13: Naval Education Goals and Pillars
VECTOR 14: Financial Accountability
VECTOR 15: Force Health Protection Guidance for the Department of Navy
VECTOR 16: Agility in a Time of Crisis
VECTOR 17: Don’t Give Up the Ship
VECTOR 18: DON Support to COVID Response
Distribution:
CMC
CNO
ASN (EI&E)
ASN (FM&C)
ASN (M&RA)
ASN (RD&A)
ACMC
VCNO
AUDGEN
CHINFO
CLO
CNR
DALO
DMCS
4
H-4-131
SUBJECT: SECNAV VECTOR 19
DNS
JAG
DON CIO
DUSN
GC
NAVIG
NCIS
OCMO
OLA
OSBP
SAPRO
5
H-4-131
5/25/2020
UPDATED: Modly Resigns Amidst Carrier Roosevelt Controversy; Army Undersecretary to Serve as Acting SECNAV - USNI News
" "sa m e As" :[" https ://twi tter. co m/sa m I ag ro n e"]}]}
©USNI News = w o
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Home » Budget Industry » UPDATED: Modly Resigns Amidst Carrier Roosevelt Controversy; Army Undersecretary to
Serve as Acting SECNAV
UPDATED: Modly Resigns Amidst Carrier
Roosevelt Controversy; Army Undersecretary to
Serve as Acting SECNAV
By: Sam LaGrone and Ben Werner
April 7, 2020 4 05 PM • Updated April 28, 2020 11 24 AM
H-4-132
https://news.usni.org/2020/04/07/modly-offers-resignation-amidst-carrier-roosevelt-controversy
5/25/2020
UPDATED: Modly Resigns Amidst Carrier Roosevelt Controversy; Army Undersecretary to Serve as Acting SECNAV - USNI News
Acting Secretary of the Navy Thomas Modly speaks to Sailors aboard the Military Sealift Command hospital ship
USNS Mercy (T-AH-19) from across the brow via the ship’s 1-MC public address system, March 31, 2020. US
Navy Photo
This post has been updated to include Thomas Modly’s resignation letter and reactions from
members of Congress.
Acting Secretary of the Navy Thomas Modly has resigned from his post after a day and a half of
widespread criticism surrounding the removal of the commander of an aircxraft carrier that is battling
a COVID-19 outbreak, according to a copy of the resignation letter obtained by USNI News.
“More than anything, I owe every member of the Navy and Marine Corps team a lifetime of gratitude
for the opportunity to serve for them, and with them, once again. They are the reason why I will
forever remain inspired by the call of service. They are the ones who lift our nation, heal our divides,
and make this country the greatest in the history of the world,” Modly wrote in the letter addressed to
Secretary of Defense Mark Esper.
“That is why with a heavy heart, I hereby submit my resignation, effective immediately. The men and
women of the Department of the Navy deserve a continuity of civilian leadership befitting our great
Republic, and the decisive naval force that secures our way of life. I will be forever grateful for my
opportunity, and the blessing, to be part of it.”
In a Tuesday statement, Esper said he would appoint the Army’s current number two civilian as the
acting SECNAV.
“I am appointing current Army Undersecretary Jim
McPherson as acting Secretary of the Navy. Jim is a retired
Admiral with a distinguished 26-year naval career, serving
ashore, afloat, and overseas during his time in uniform. I
know Jim McPherson well,” Esper wrote.
“He is a smart, capable, and professional leader who will
restore confidence and stability in the Navy during these
challenging times. Jim will serve as acting Secretary of the
Navy until a permanent Navy Secretary is confirmed.”
Modly offered his resignation to Esper a day after he made
a speech to sailors aboard USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-
71) in which he criticized the carrier’s former commanding
H-4-132
https://news.usni.org/2020/04/07/modly-offers-resignation-amidst-carrier-roosevelt-controversy
5/25/2020
UPDATED: Modly Resigns Amidst Carrier Roosevelt Controversy; Army Undersecretary to Serve as Acting SECNAV - USNI News
James E. McPherson. US Army Photo officer, Capt. Brett Crozier. While addressing the sailors,
Modly said an alarming letter Crozier sent potentially broke
the law and was designed to be leaked to the press.
To print the document, click the "Original Document" link to open the original PDF. At this
time it is not possible to print the document with annotations.
H-4-132
https://news.usni.org/2020/04/07/modly-offers-resignation-amidst-carrier-roosevelt-controversy
5/25/2020
UPDATED: Modly Resigns Amidst Carrier Roosevelt Controversy; Army Undersecretary to Serve as Acting SECNAV - USNI News
Crozier’s letter stated sailors were at risk of succumbing to the virus unless the service stepped up
testing and isolation procedures on Guam.
“If we do not act now, we are failing to properly take care of our most trusted asset - our sailors,” he
wrote in the letter that was leaked to The San Francisco Chronicle. Crozier was removed from his
command on April 2 on orders from Modly for “extremely poor judgment.”
On Monday, Modly traveled to the carrier and spoke to the sailors aboard and was critical of Crozier.
Modly said if Crozier thought the information wasn’t going to go public in the way he sent it, he was
“too naive or stupid” to command the carrier.
To print the document, click the "Original Document" link to open the original PDF. At this
time it is not possible to print the document with annotations.
H-4-132
https://news.usni.org/2020/04/07/modly-offers-resignation-amidst-carrier-roosevelt-controversy
5/25/2020
UPDATED: Modly Resigns Amidst Carrier Roosevelt Controversy; Army Undersecretary to Serve as Acting SECNAV - USNI News
Following a leaked recording of the speech and backlash from Congress and the public, Modly
submitted a hasty apology late Wednesday.
“I want to apologize to the Navy for my recent comments to the crew of the TR. Let me be clear, I do
not think Capt. Brett Crazier is naive nor stupid. I think, and always believed him to be the opposite.
We pick our carrier commanding officers with great care,” the statement read. “Capt. Crazier is smart
and passionate. I believe, precisely because he is not naive and stupid, that he sent his alarming
email with the intention of getting it into the public domain in an effort to draw public attention to the
situation on his ship. I apologize for any confusion this choice of words may have caused.”
Reaction to Modly’s resignation from Capitol Hill was swift, with members issuing statements
supporting the move and some calling for a review of the actions leading up to the resignation.
“Acting Secretary Modly submitting his formal resignation to Secretary Esper was the right thing to do.
After mismanaging the COVID-19 outbreak on the USS Theodore Roosevelt, it became obvious that
Acting Secretary Modly had forfeited his ability to lead the Navy. His actions had become a distraction
at a time when we need the Navy to be focused on preserving the safety of our Sailors and
maintaining the readiness of our fleet,” said a statement from Rep. Adam Smith (D-Wash.), the chair
of the House Armed Services Committee.
Sen. James Inhofe, (R-Okla.) the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, issued a
statement expressing his concern over what has become a months-long process to firm-up the
leadership of the Navy and Marine Corps. The nomination of retired Navy Rear Adm. Kenneth
Braithwaite secretary of the Navy has been pending since February.
“It’s disturbing to me that there’s been so much turmoil at the top of the Department of the Navy over
the last year. In this difficult time, the Navy needs leaders now more than ever who can provide
continuity and steady, insightful leadership,” Inhofe wrote.
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“Once the Senate is back in session, I will make sure the Armed Services Committee considers the
nomination of the next Secretary of the Navy quickly, and I ask my fellow committee members to help
me expedite this nomination as well.”
Rep. Joe Courtney, (D-Conn.) issued a statement saying Modly’s decision to resign, “was a
necessary step to restore the confidence of every sailor and member of the US Navy that its
leadership is committed to their wellbeing,” he said.
“Mr. Modly did the right thing in stepping aside. Hopefully it will allow the Navy to focus on caring for
the crew and their families, as well as for a fresh review of the Captain Crozier’s punishment, which
simple fairness demands.”
Under Secretary of the Navy Thomas Modly speaks to Navy, Marine, and Coast Guard officers during the National
Naval Officers Association (NNOA) symposium on Aug. 7, 2019. US Navy Photo
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Rep. Rob Wittman, (R-Va.), the ranking member of the House Armed Services subcommittee on
seapower and projection forces, issued a statement accepting the reasoning behind Modly’s
resignation.
“After acting Secretary Modly’s recent actions, I support Secretary Esper’s decision to accept his
resignation. I believe that this move is critical to making our Navy whole again and getting back on
track to address this unique readiness situation during these challenging times,” Wittman wrote.
“Going forward, I will work with the Department of Defense, in my oversight role, to ensure that every
possible step is being taken to safeguard the health of our service members, provide our
commanders the resources they need, and maintain our military presence around the globe.”
Rep. Mac Thornberry, (R-Texas), the HASC ranking member, issued a statement that avoided delving
into the controversy surrounding Modly’s resignation, instead opting to focus on the work of service
members responding to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“All of our service members, including our sailors, deserve to be able to do their best on the tasks
assigned to them without unnecessary distractions. The change in the office of the Secretary of the
Navy should allow the country to put this episode behind us and allow sailors to focus on the very
important missions at hand,” said the statement from Thornberry.
Earlier in the day, during a lunch-time media conference, Smith said Modly lost his ability to effectively
lead the service once he made his speech aboard Theodore Roosevelt denigrating the ship’s former
commanding officer.
Speaking before it was known Modly had resigned, Smith said he couldn’t see a way for Modly to
continue as acting secretary after giving the speech.
“Having made that decision I think Acting Secretary Modly is going to have a heck of a time getting
the confidence of the Navy back having made that speech,” Smith said during lunchtime Tuesday.
Smith said he wished the decision to relieve Crazier of command had been handled better, with more
consideration for the circumstances and what Smith said was predictable blow-back from the public
and Navy community.
“What on earth possessed the acting secretary to think that that speech was a good idea,” Smith
said.
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Related
Modly Apologizes to Roosevelt
Crew, Former CO as Navy
Extends Investigation; Trump Says
He ‘May Just Get Involved’
April 6, 2020
In "Military Personnel"
Navy Probe into Letter From
Carrier Roosevelt CO Ends
Monday; Report Says Brett
Crozier Has COVID-19
April 5, 2020
In "News & Analysis"
■-Modly Tells Carrier
Roosevelt Crew Former CO
Could Have Broken Military
Law
Modly Tells Carrier Roosevelt
Crew Former CO Could Have
Broken Military Law
April 6. 2020
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Article Keywords: CNO Adm. Michael Gilday, Coronavirus, COVID 19, Guam, President Donald Trump,
Thomas Modly, USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71)
Categories: Budget Industry, Military Personnel, News & Analysis, Surface Forces, U.S. Navy
About Sam LaGrone and Ben Werner
Sam LaGrone is the editor of USNI News. He has covered legislation, acquisition and operations for
the Sea Services since 2009 and spent time underway with the U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps and
the Canadian Navy. Ben Werner is a USNI News staff writer.
Follow @samlagrone
View all posts by Sam LaGrone and Ben Werner
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