How an outbreak on the USS Theodore Roosevelt became a defining moment for the U.S. military

[mahatmakanejeeves]

Hat tip, Joe.My.God

National Security

How an outbreak on the USS Theodore Roosevelt became a defining moment for the U.S. military

By Dan Lamothe, Shawn Boburg and Paul Sonne
April 16, 2020 at 1:31 p.m. EDT

As a coronavirus outbreak swept through a U.S. aircraft carrier crippled off the coast of Guam, the ship’s commander tapped out an e-mail urging senior Navy leaders to evacuate most of the 4,800 sailors onboard.

Capt. Brett Crozier opened his March 30 message to three admirals by saying he would “gladly” follow them “into battle whenever needed.” But he shifted to his concern that the Navy was not doing enough to stop the spread of the virus, and acknowledged being a part of the sluggish response.

“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,” Crozier wrote in previously unreported comments obtained by The Washington Post. “.?.?. I believe if there is ever a time to ask for help it is now regardless of the impact on my career.”

The email, copied to a handful of Navy captains, is at the heart of a crisis that erupted into public view after a four-page memo attached to it was published in the news media.

The note set off a chain reaction that included acting Navy secretary Thomas Modly’s decision to relieve Crozier from command and Modly’s resignation amid an outcry after audio emerged of him insulting the captain in an address to Theodore Roosevelt sailors.

{snip}

Julie Tate contributed to this report.

Dan Lamothe
Dan Lamothe joined The Washington Post in 2014 to cover the U.S. military and the Pentagon. He has written about the Armed Forces for more than a decade, traveling extensively, embedding with each service and covering combat in Afghanistan numerous times. Follow https://twitter.com/danlamothe

Shawn Boburg
Shawn Boburg is a reporter for The Washington Post's investigative unit. He was previously an accountability reporter for the Metro section. He joined The Post in 2015. Follow https://twitter.com/ShawnBoburg

Paul Sonne
Paul Sonne covers the U.S. military and national security. He previously reported for the Wall Street Journal from Moscow, London and Washington. Follow https://twitter.com/PaulSonne

[lapfog_1]

1. There are (at least) two problems

First is the idiotic response to this Captain's desire to keep his crew safe.

The second, and possibly more serious, is the lack of respect in the rank and file for the very top of the command structure. When the (acting) SecNav shows up on a warship and addresses the crew, having a collective "What the FUCK" response from a large segment of the crew is completely unacceptable.

In a war time situation, the commands from the CinC to the SecDef and SecNav to the Joint Chiefs down to the Captain of a warship... must be followed. No "WTFs".

Up until NOW, this was expected and, with few exceptions, the rule.

But with the current Traitor-in-Chief and his "acting" political appointees, often people that kiss his butt and are not respected by anyone in the military, especially the rank and file, military order and discipline are breaking down.

This is Putin's wet dream... a US military unable and possibly unwilling to follow orders.

This is what Trump has done to us... we are in an extremely precarious situation should there be, say, another rocket attack by Iran... or North Korea.

[soryang]

2. Defining moment: the foolish decision to make a port call in Danang

...while a major epidemic outbreak on the Asian mainland was underway.

More details leaked out with this article:

The Theodore Roosevelt's stop in Vietnam in early March marked the 25th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the country and the United States. It was also meant to serve as a symbolic show of U.S. strength and influence in the region, in the face of a rising China. Planning had been in the works for months.

But senior military officials had not anticipated that a virus would be spreading around the world. They monitored the threat but concluded that it was minimal. Vietnam had fewer than two dozen confirmed cases of the virus by the time the ship was approaching the waters outside Da Nang.

Adm. Philip Davidson, the U.S. military's top officer in the Pacific, ordered the ship to continue as planned. Gilday described it as a "risk-informed decision."

Sailors spent five days in the coastal city, mingled with Vietnamese civilians during a reception and performed community service projects. One group stayed at the same hotel as two British tourists who were later confirmed to have the virus.

https://www.stripes.com/news/navy/how-an-outbreak-on-the-uss-roosevelt-became-a-defining-moment-for-the-us-military-1.626326

Letting thousands of sailors go ashore when the scope of the problem was unknown. Cruise ships in Southeast Asia were already being refused port calls in Vietnam and other southeast Asian ports for two weeks. The epidemic was already raging on the Diamond Princess in Yokohama. Yet they pulled into Danang anyway to score diplomatic points? Like pulling a ship into uncharted coastal waters. A "risk informed decision," it wasn't. It's likely this was an order from the anti-China, South China sea obsessed civilian leadership, this is the blunder reflecting our generally incompetent, corrupt, and complacent civilian leadership. The letter from Crozier is a mere aftershock, distracting from the main issue.