As the nation faces the novel coronavirus pandemic, Brett Crozier, captain of the USS Theodore Roosevelt, a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, has asked U.S. Navy officials for additional support for his crew—and lines from his four-page request are a must-read. Why? As first reported by the San Francisco Chronicle, Crozier wrote that while a “small contingent of infected soldiers” was already off-boarded, in such cramped, shared quarters, an outbreak is an obvious concern. How many people are on board? More than 4,000.
“We are not at war,” Crozier reportedly wrote in part. “Sailors do not need to die. If we do not act now, we are failing to properly take care of our most trusted asset—our Sailors.”
The Chronicle reports that an anonymous source, identified as a senior officer on board, told the publication that between 150 and 200 sailors tested positive. Just a few days ago, ABC News reported the number of infected sailors on the ship was at 36. The Wall Street Journal reports that, according to Navy officials, at least 70 sailors are infected.
The aircraft carrier, whose home port is in San Diego, docked in a port at Guam as was previously scheduled. Now, Crozier is asking for “compliant quarantine rooms” in Guam for the whole crew. Why? To reduce the risk of spreading infection. As he reportedly wrote, “Keeping over 4,000 young men and women on board the TR is an unnecessary risk and breaks faith those Sailors entrusted to our care.”
The Chronicle reports that as of last week, senior military officials confirmed the whole crew will be tested. If you’re wondering why that plus isolation on board the ship isn’t enough, Crozier addressed that point in his letter, writing, “Due to a warship’s inherent limitations of space” abiding by guidelines for social distancing and two-week quarantines are simply not realistic. The combination of small, shared spaces and a ton of people is far from ideal, based on what we know about how the virus spreads.
“This will require a political solution but it is the right thing to do,” Crozier wrote. He suggested that sailors should be tested after a two-week quarantine before returning to the ship. In addition, he argued that just 10% of the crew needed to stay on-board in order to clean and provide adequate security.
“Navy leadership is moving quickly to take all necessary measures to ensure the health and safety of the crew of USS Theodore Roosevelt, and is pursuing options to address the concerns raised by the commanding officer,” Navy commanders said in a statement as a response to Crozier’s memo, as reported by The Wall Street Journal.
Though not related to the situation on the USSTR, according to the Defense Department, one service member has died from the coronavirus. New Jersey National Guardsman Captain Douglas Linn Hickok tested positive for the coronavirus and was hospitalized on March 21. He died at the Pennsylvania hospital on Sunday, as reported by NBC 4 Washington.
NBC News reports that the Pentagon has instructed military bases to stop sharing specific numbers of coronavirus cases to both the public and the media. Why? As Pentagon spokesperson Jonathan Rath Hoffman explains it, the decision comes down to a question of security.
“If a commander believes that COVID-19 could affect the readiness of our strategic deterrent or strategic response forces,” Hoffman said in a statement, “we understandably protect that information from public release and falling into the hands of our adversaries - as we expect they would do the same.”