Submarine Matters article of April 8, 2020 “Captain
Crozier COVID-19 Affair - Sacking Admirals?” https://gentleseas.blogspot.com/2020/04/captain-crozier-covid-19-affair-sacking.html
in naming a cast of potentially responsible Admirals (Gilday, Davidson, Baker, Merz, Aquilino) and
General Milley,
has anticipated subsequent inquiry manoeuvres
recorded in
US abc NEWS/Associated Press
article, “New Navy carrier inquiry suggests tough scrutiny of admirals” of April 30, 2020 https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory/navy-widen-carrier-probe-delaying-decision-commander-70404757.
That abc article reports:
“WASHINGTON
-- The Navy is launching a wider investigation of the coronavirus crisis aboard
the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt, suggesting closer and deeper
scrutiny of actions and decisions by senior admirals in the Pacific that led to
the controversial firing of the ship's commander nearly a month ago.
...The
new investigation was announced by James E. McPherson, the acting Navy
secretary,
...McPherson
and the top Navy officer, Adm. Mike
Gilday, presented to Defense Secretary Mark Esper their recommendation that
Crozier be reinstated, based on the outcome of a preliminary inquiry by the
Navy's No. 2 admiral.
...Army
Gen. Mark Milley, the chairman of
the Joint Chiefs of Staff, suggested a broader, more thorough investigation was
needed.
The expanded investigation is expected
to examine communication and leadership actions in the Navy chain of command in
the Pacific,
to include events before the initial virus outbreak in late March, officials
said. This likely includes the decision to make a port visit to Da Nang,
Vietnam, which has been cited as a possible source of the infection aboard the
Roosevelt. That decision was made by Adm. Phil Davidson, who as commander of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command is in
charge of all forces in that region.
...In
his statement, McPherson did not reveal what questions he thinks the initial
inquiry left unanswered.
“I
am directing Adm. Gilday to conduct
a follow-on command investigation,” McPherson said.
The
Gilday review probably will address
Crozier's concerns that his superiors were not acting fact enough to protect
the crew from the spreading virus. Those leaders would include Rear Adm. Stuart
Baker, commander of the carrier
strike group, who was aboard the Roosevelt with Crozier; the 7th Fleet
commander, Vice Adm. William R. Merz;
and the Pacific Fleet commander, Adm. John C. Aquilino, as well as
Davidson, head of Indo-Pacific Command.”
Pete
