OPINION
Captain Brett Crozier was my Naval Academy classmate. He’s one of the finest leaders I know
Many of my classmates and I can think of no finer person or leader from our class.
By Mark Roppolo 12:30 AM on Apr 9, 2020
The events surrounding the dismissal of Capt. Brett Crozier, the former commanding officer of the USS Theodore Roosevelt, strikes close to home. Crozier and I were in the same company for our four years together at the U.S. Naval Academy and then, after graduation and commissioning, we were roommates in flight school for two years. Many of my classmates and I can think of no finer person or leader from our class.
My friend’s name is now known around the country, after Acting Secretary of the Navy Thomas Modly announced April 2 that he was relieving Crozier of command of the Roosevelt because he had lost confidence in his judgment. This came after a letter Crozier wrote to Navy leaders on March 30 outlined his concerns about dealing with an outbreak of COVID-19 aboard his ship was obtained by and printed in the San Francisco Chronicle.
I have been proud to watch Crozier’s development from a skinny 18-year-old from Santa Rosa, Calif. to the captain of one of the Navy’s most prestigious and powerful ships. The Naval Academy Class of 1992 started with approximately 1,300 midshipmen from over 16,000 applicants. Given the unique process which requires an applicant to meet rigorous academic and physical standards, in addition to the nomination from their local congressman, the Naval Academy produces many impressive graduates with varying leadership styles.
After graduating, Crozier went to flight school in Pensacola, Fla. He started his aviation career in helicopters, excelled in his squadron, and was later selected for the rare transition from helicopters to jets. He flew F/A-18 Hornets and was later selected for command of a squadron.
In April 2014, Crozier completed the Naval Nuclear Power training program and served as the Executive Officer of USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) until July 2016. Most recently, before taking command of the Roosevelt, he had command of the USS Blue Ridge, which is the flagship of the 7th Fleet with a home port in Japan.
Crozier has excelled throughout his career because of his character and intelligence. One does not rise to become CO of an aircraft carrier without excellent and time-tested leadership and problem-solving skills.
On the ship, my friend was dealing with a rising crisis. Reported coronavirus cases were increasing daily.
Like any officer in command, he had to act decisively. In his letter sent via email to Navy leaders, Crozier detailed how the Navy’s process of testing and isolating was ineffective aboard a cramped ship of nearly 5,000 sailors with open, shared living quarters, cramped passageways, and workspaces and common meals all prepared and served by exposed personnel.
In his letter, the captain gave two options: Maintain warfighting readiness, “fight with the force we have and fight sick. We never achieve a COVID free TR. There will be losses.” Or “achieve a COVID-free TR” through “strict adherence to CDC guidelines and a methodical approach to achieve a clean ship.”
He wrote that “if required, the USS Theodore Roosevelt would embark all assigned Sailors, set sail, and be ready to fight and beat any adversary that dares challenge the US or our Allies.”
But given that we are not in a war, he recommended an aggressive plan to offboard 90% of the crew into individual rooms at Naval Station Guam and off base.
He wanted to keep the bare minimum crew required to keep the ship’s aircraft, weapons and reactors safe and secure on board. Others would be taken off the ship and placed in accommodations that met the guidance of the Centers for Disease Control and the Chief of Naval Operations for restriction of movement. “This will require a political solution,” he wrote, “but it is the right thing to do. We are not at war. Sailors do not need to die.”
For this, he lost his job and a career of service to his nation that has been wholly honorable and worthy of commendation.
Modly, in an attempt to explain his decision, stated that he was not relieving Crozier of command Crozier for aggressively reporting the issue or sending it via email instead of a classified message but because Crozier did not take care to ensure that the letter would not get leaked to the press.
It’s my belief, based on the available facts and my experience in the Navy, that my friend communicated honestly and thoroughly to to his superiors and in the best interest of his crew.
On March 31, before Crozier was relieved and a day after he wrote his letter, Vice Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Robert P. Burke sent a message to the fleet regarding COVID-19 response, which stated:
“There are times that you will need to push back on operational requirements. There are times that you may need to go to an installation commander for places to house your Sailors because you cannot effectively isolate your personnel… If you’re not getting what you need, don’t suffer in silence, get the word up the chain. Above all, and I want you to hear this from me and the CNO, WE HAVE YOUR BACK. When in doubt, lean forward and lead.”
Crozier had leaned forward to lead, to spare his crew and to ensure that his ship would remain operational.
I am not privy to the details regarding who received the Crozier email or its routing. There is an ongoing investigation into details on the ship and the command climate in the Pacific Fleet.
I know that, like many of my classmates and former shipmates, I was shocked at what unfolded afterwards when Modly flew halfway around the world to personally assault Crozier’s character in an address to the Roosevelt crew.
That was unprecedented in my Naval experience. And it predictably backfired not only with crew members who can be heard jeering Modly but with so many of us who are proud Navy veterans. Under fire from all sides, Modly resigned as I sat down to write this Tuesday.
Unlike Modly, Crozier received a rousing send-off from his crew. I cannot say what the investigation into Crozier’s communication about conditions aboard the ship may reveal.
But having known him for 32 years, I can attest to this: He is an honorable man who has faithfully served the Navy for over three decades, at great sacrifice to himself and his family.
He is not one who goes searching for a cause to become a hero. The world is in unprecedented times in which an invisible virus has killed thousands, ravaged health care systems, wrecked economies and changed life as we know it.
In these times, we need leaders who “when in doubt, lean forward and lead.” This man, my friend, is that kind of leader, and he is as genuine and good as they come.
Mark Roppolo is a 1992 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy. He served until 2001 as a helicopter pilot and is now a real estate investor in Dallas.
