Navy captain ousted over coronavirus warning receives thunderous applause from his crew

Following his dismissal, hundreds of sailors expressed their support for the United States Navy captain who sounded the alarm about a COVID-19 outbreak on his ship, showering him with applause.

Videos shared on social media showed Capt. Brett Crozier, who was relieved of command this week, receiving cheers from a huge crowd of sailors on the USS Theodore Roosevelt, reports Stars and Stripes.

"Now that's how you send out one of the greatest captains you ever had," one man is heard saying in a video posted to Facebook, in which the sailors passionately chant Crozier's name.

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.

Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.

Sign up

Crozier will remain in the Navy and keep his rank. His removal came after he wrote a letter asking for help with a COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak on the Roosevelt, and the letter subsequently leaked. The Washington Post reports that the Navy "had become increasingly convinced that Crozier was involved in leaking the letter to the news media."

Acting Navy Secretary Thomas Modly said in a news conference on Thursday that Crozier was removed because he sent the letter over "non-secure unclassified email" to a "broad array of people," NBC News reports. Modly also said per The Hill that Crozier "did not take care" to ensure that the letter could not be leaked.