The Navy will conduct a more thorough investigation into the spread of the coronavirus on the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt two U.S. officials told ABC News on Wednesday.
The officials said the probe will delay a decision on whether to reinstate the ship’s captain.
The deeper dive comes just days after Navy leaders met with Defense Secretary Mark Esper and Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, to discuss the Navy's recommendation that Capt. Brett Crozier return to his post.
One official said the new probe is not expected to last longer than 30 days. Both officials told ABC News the investigation will look into several issues related to the virus outbreak and how decisions were made.
Crozier was removed from his post after a letter that he wrote to Navy officials asking for help amid a coronavirus outbreak aboard the Roosevelt was leaked to the media in late March.
In a statement to The Hill, Acting Navy Secretary James McPherson said he decided to open a fuller investigation into Crozier's firing, which would postpone any decision to reinstate him.
"This investigation will build on the good work of the initial inquiry to provide a more fulsome understanding of the sequence of events, actions, and decisions of the chain of command surrounding the COVID-19 outbreak aboard USS Theodore Roosevelt," McPherson said in the statement.
McPherson said following a discussion he had with Gen. Milley, "I have unanswered questions that the preliminary inquiry has identified and that can only be answered by a deeper review."
© 2026 Newsmax. All rights reserved.