(KGTV) – The former commanding officer of the USS Theodore Roosevelt, who was removed last month after he urged U.S. military officials to act as the coronavirus spread aboard his ship, could possibly get his job back, according to a New York Times report.
In the New York Times report published Wednesday, Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Michael M. Gilday was considering the possibility of reinstating Capt. Brett Crozier. However, in the same report, a spokesperson for Gilday told The Times that no decision has been made because the admiral is reviewing the investigation into Crozier’s actions.
The captain was removed from his post on the San Diego-based aircraft carrier after a letter he wrote to military officials regarding the virus outbreak among crew members leaked to the media.
Many crew members expressed outrage over Crozier’s dismissal, with one viral video showing the ousted captain being applauded and cheered as he departed the carrier.
Following Crozier’s removal, then-acting Navy Secretary Thomas Modly addressed the crew and reportedly referred to the captain as “too naïve and too stupid” in his remarks. Modly later apologized for his comments and resigned.
The USS Theodore Roosevelt has been docked in Guam since late March as coronavirus cases among crew members have mounted. One crew member who was in isolation after having contracted the virus died Monday after being found unresponsive days earlier.
Crozier also tested positive for COVID-19 and is in isolation at the Navy base in Guam.
