Defense Secretary Mark Esper told CBS News this week that “nothing is off the table,” when asked about reinstating the Navy captain who was dismissed from his post over his letter about a coronavirus outbreak onboard his ship.
"We've taken nothing off the table,” Esper said on "CBS This Morning" on Friday. “My inclination is always to support the chain of command, and to take the recommendations seriously."
Capt. Brett Crozier was removed as commander of the USS Theodore Roosevelt after he sent a letter to Esper and several others calling for help dealing with an outbreak of the coronavirus onboard his ship, which later leaked to the media. Acting Navy Secretary Thomas Modly last week criticized Crozier in a speech to the ship’s crew, which later leaked to the press and prompted his resignation. Crozier is currently being investigated by the Pentagon over the letter.
"There are always extreme cases where going outside the chain of command makes sense. That's why we want to see where this investigation takes us,” Esper said.
The secretary added later that multiple Navy hospital ships have been sent to different parts of the country to help combat the coronavirus outbreak, saying that worrying about having enough medical staff “keeps him up at night.”
He said, “The biggest challenge is the medical staff, is making sure you have sufficient doctors and nurses. For me, because I have these mobile capability inherent in the military, is to maintain adaptability and be agile."
Theodore Bunker ✉
Theodore Bunker, a Newsmax writer, has more than a decade covering news, media, and politics.
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