Hundreds of soldiers gathered at a dock in Guam to cheer for their captain–or the man who used to be their captain.
Captain Brett Crozier was asked to step down on Thursday from his position as commanding officer of the USS Theodore Roosevelt for trying to save his officers from a brewing coronavirus disaster.
“Today at my direction, the commanding officer of the USS Theodore Roosevelt, Captain Brett Crozier, was relieved of command,” said acting Navy Secretary Thomas Modly at a press conference on Thursday.
Crozier sent out a memo to warn the navy that his crew needed life-saving action.
Navy officials say that the memo itself was not the problem… but the fact that Crozier sent the memo over an unsecured system.
So far, 114 sailors on board the aircraft carrier have tested positive for the virus. At least 1,000 individuals have been safely evacuated from the ship.
The crew members awaiting COVID-19 test results will stay in hotels in Guam until they are cleared to leave.
