When the History of this Pandemic is Written Capt. Brett E. Crozier Will be One of its Heroes

A consistent theme of the Trump era is good men and women sacrificing their livelihoods to do the right thing, the honorable thing. We wrote about it recently with regard to Intelligence Community Inspector General Michael Atkinson who the President fired for exposing the Ukraine scandal, joining a long list of other fine public officials who gave up their careers to unmask the administration's misdeeds.

Joining that list now is Brett E. Crozier, the captain of the aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt. As the Covid-19 virus spread rapidly among the sailors on his ship, he sought help for his crew, violating the chain of command when he believed that his superiors were ignoring or slow-walking his urgent pleas for assistance.

Vox: "Crozier, who has reportedly tested positive for Covid-19, wrote in his letter that the Navy needed to get more sailors off the carrier swiftly to protect their health amid an outbreak spreading aboard the ship. “We are not at war. Sailors do not need to die, ”he wrote."

Apparently, Crozier made the mistake of embarrassing the Trump administration by exposing the lie that they had the Covid-19 pandemic under control.

New York Times: "But colleagues say the mistake that could cost Captain Crozier his career was charging headlong into the Trump administration’s narrative that it had everything under control."

"Pentagon officials said that although President Trump never ordered Captain Crozier dismissed, he was displeased with the captain’s actions and let the Navy know — a sentiment Mr. Trump made very public on Saturday when he lashed out at the captain."

Crozier was removed as captain of the Theodore Roosevelt last week, but his crew let him know that he made the right call, the honorable decision.

New York Times: "It was a send-off for the ages, with hundreds of sailors aboard the aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt cheering Capt. Brett E. Crozier, the commander who sacrificed his naval career by writing a letter to his superiors demanding more help as the novel coronavirus spread through the ship."

"The rousing show of support provided the latest gripping scene to emerge from the coronavirus pandemic: the rank and file shouting their admiration for a boss they viewed as putting their safety ahead of his career."

And, many former Navy officials agree that Crozier made the right decision, acting in the best interests of his crew, putting their interests above his career.

Vox: “I think the firing was a really bad decision, because it undermines the authority of the military commanders who are trying to take care of their troops, and significantly negatively impacts the willingness of commanders to speak truth to power,” retired Adm. Mike Mullen, the former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told the Post."

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By: Don Lam & Curated Content