So yesterday the acting Secretary of the Navy, a sniveling, obsequious little toad named Thomas Modly addressed the crew of the USS THEODORE ROOSEVELT regarding his decision to relieve their commanding officer, Captain Brett Crozier. Captain Crozier sacrificed his career by attempting to protect the sailors under his command from a poorly handled COVID-19 breakout on his ship.
This particular drama is one that gets under my skin in a very personal way.
This particular drama is one that gets under my skin in a very personal way.
When I was undergoing initiation as a Navy Chief Petty Officer, one of the things that I learned was real Navy Chiefs look after their sailors, no matter the personal consequence. And another thing that real Navy Chiefs do is train their junior officers to behave in the same fashion. We do this because it's our job. We do this because it's honorable. And we do this because that's what moral courage looks like, and it's what we aspire to.
I was... irked...when Captain Crozier was relieved of his command for attempting to care for his sailors the only way he knew how. Partly because I knew that if the Navy's senior leadership team had been doing their damn job instead of cowering in fear of the President, the Captain's actions would not have been necessary. And partly because Captain Crozier is exactly the kind of Naval officer I would have followed willingly, into the jaws of death and beyond, and the Navy can ill afford to lose him to these publicity shenanigans.
Back to the toad, Secretary Modly. During his address to the crew said their Captain was either "too naive or too stupid" to be in command. This is the same Captain, mind you, who received a standing ovation from his crew when departing his command for the last time. The Secretary then went on to say the Captain committed a "betrayal" and created a "big controversy" in Washington by disseminating his warning so widely among Navy officials.
Translation: When I was sitting on my hands worrying if the brat in the White House would fire me, you chose to publicly embarrass me by actually asking senior Naval leadership to DO SOMETHING about the clear and present danger to your crew's health. How dare you!
Was Captain Crozier naive? I seriously doubt it. Let's make no mistake, here - Captain Crozier knew EXACTLY what would happen to him when he sent this letter. He knew, and he sacrificed his career anyway. There is no way he will ever regain a sea-going command - once you've made your bosses look like ineffectual choads they are not going to assign you to a command position again, and for senior officers, this is career suicide. He knew the outcome, and he acted anyway, displaying the moral courage that all Naval leaders aspire to. He walked the walk, and lost his career because of it.
Was Captain Crozier stupid to embarrass and jump his chain of command for what he considered to be a lack of effective action on their part to protect his sailors? I guess it depends on what you value. If the only thing you care about is the forward progression of your career, the well-being of others be damned, then yes, he was stupid. But if you care about your honor, your mission, your responsibility to the sailors under your command, then he made a profoundly courageous decision, and a smart one, too. The Navy moved with alacrity to protect and test his sailors after he informed senior leadership of the problem and started the "big controversy." This was the outcome he desired, and his decision led to this outcome.
Another thing I learned as a Navy Chief was that you are responsible for the outcome of your decisions, regardless of what you intended. Did your decision result in your ship winning a battle? Did it result in vanquishing the enemy? Did it result in the quick action of senior leadership to protect your crew in the face of a clear and present danger? Then it was the right decision. Captain Crozier achieved his objective by this measure, and really - it's the only measure that counts.
So, as a former Senior Chief Petty Officer in the United States Navy and United States Naval Reserve, I have one thing to say to Secretary Modly.
Fuck you. Fuck you sideways. Captain Crozier's sailors would follow him into the mouth of Hell after what he did for them. And they'd just as soon shove you off the fantail while underway for your reaction. You fired him for the crime of exposing your incompetence, because you lack the moral courage to stand up to the President and do the right thing, in spite of the fact that his own chain of command recommended against his relief. And perhaps that is the "right" decision for a senior political leader to take when a member of their staff doesn't cover for them. But perhaps a better idea is for you to go back to being a junior officer where you can be appropriately schooled by the Goat Locker on your responsibilities and the real meaning of leadership. Or perhaps you can relieve yourself of your own position, since the Captain's actions were a direct response to your non-action and you apparently shit your pants every time the President glances in your direction.
In January of 2021, I would like to suggest Captain Brett Crozier be appointed as the Secretary of the Navy, because I think we all know who behaved with morality and courage, here.
ETA: Acting Secretary Modly resigned from his post this afternoon after the full transcript of his remarks to the TR crew were made public. After reading the transcript, I realized he was an even bigger knob than I thought, and that's saying something.
ETA: Acting Secretary Modly resigned from his post this afternoon after the full transcript of his remarks to the TR crew were made public. After reading the transcript, I realized he was an even bigger knob than I thought, and that's saying something.