Acting Navy Secretary Resigns in Wake of USS Roosevelt Comments

Wall Street Journal ^ | April 7, 2020 | By Gordon Lubold

[Pontiac]

Mr. Modly took the unusual step over the weekend of traveling to the carrier, which now is at port in Guam, to angrily criticize the ship’s former captain in an address to the ship’s crew.

Praise in public; criticize in private.

Vince Lombardy

[Steely Tom]

The good news is, got rid of two idiots with one incident.

For some reason your comment reminded me of something I heard Jack Loizeaux, founder of CDI (Controlled Demolition Inc.) say about his company's top-dog position in the business: "Our competition... usually takes themselves out." There was a very cute pause after the word "competition."

[Destroyer Sailor]

Not surprising.

[Midwesterner53]

This turned into a PR disaster for the Navy when the Acting Secretary made his comments to the ship’s crew about a man they admired and respected. In all my years in the Army, I never heard such a personal attack from a senior person on someone junior to them, particularly after they had been removed from command was wasn’t able to defend themselves. Good bye and good riddance.

[Buckeye McFrog]

I don’t think the captain leaked the information rather his email was leaked by someone else.

Then logic dictates one of 2 things:

1) Someone inside the chain of command who is authorized to deal with classified info received it and leaked it, in which case that person needs to be fired and probably prosecuted.

or...

2) The Captain sent the email to someone outside the chain of command who was NOT authorized to receive classified info, which is the very same thing we're all screaming for Hillary's head over.

It's got to be one or the other.

[Williams]

Ok that’s fine but the Navy has not been “plunged into dissaray”.

Maybe during and immediately after Pearl Harbor, part of the Navy was in dissaray.

[brownsfan]

“Both wrong.”

Agreed.

[BradyLS]

It was a Navy management matter. He didn’t need to explain himself to the crew nor spotlight the former CO. If he had to say anything at all, he could have kept it short, simple, perhaps encouraging, but all business. He might have offered guidance to the ranking officers and CPOs through a directive until the new CO takes the reins.

[DesertRhino]

Scratch two idiots. Captain was unfit overall. The SecNav had no reason to explain to the snowflakes why he did it. Very bad habit. Give your order, let the new Captain execute it.

[yesthatjallen]

I understand why he was let go because of the leak. It was a breach of protocol and it had to be addressed.

However, kicking a man when he's down in front of the people who believed he was trying to help them was out of line.

Did no one review his speech? Did no one tell him it's one thing to be firm in your actions and it's another to be a jerk?

[1Old Pro]

The Navy is a mess.

[silverleaf]

I think its a damn shame when the Navy Secretary cant call out a stupid move without “ offending” the crew of a ship that was endangered by that stupid move

Reminds me of the press campaign that got Patton fired for glove slapping a blubbering GI in a field hospital

[stylin19a]

*** He could have referred to chain of command and operational security... it would have been enough, I think ***

zactly

[Popman]

Wonderful! Now get Captain Crozier back to his ship.

The Chinese will be happy about that...

Did you forget the sarcasm tag or have you lost your mind ?

[USNA74]

Praise in public, criticize in private. Leadership 101.

Agree with you, there were any number of flag officers in the CO’s chain of command that could have, and should have, provided any needed speech to the crew. Having SECNAV there to spew that crap, using the “sailor language” that he did, was completely unnecessary . . . and the sailor language was totally inappropriate coming from leadership.

[PerConPat]

Can’t say I’m disappointed in his resignation. He demonstrated a lack of sensitivity to the concept of naval morale, for being an academy grad. His confirmation was going to be a tough go in the Senate, after his 1MC speech.

[DesertRhino]

No way. Crozier is utterly unfit to command such a ship.

[silverleaf]

Rest of the story
Chopper went Hollywood

https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2020/04/theres_another_side_to_the_story_of_the_fired_navy_captain.html

[BradyLS]

But that’s only if there was a need for the SecNav’s direct involvement. Otherwise, leave the matter to the chain-of-command.

[SkyDancer]

I think I read where he sent out several emails on the subject and somehow someone saw it and leaked it; find that person .....