https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/06/us/politics/coronavirus-navy-secretary-roosevelt-crozier.html
Like much in the Trump administration,
what began as a seemingly straightforward challenge — the arrival of
coronavirus onboard a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier — has now
engulfed the military, leading to far-reaching questions of undue
command influence and the demoralization of young men and women who
promise to protect the country. At its heart, the crisis aboard the
Theodore Roosevelt has become a window into what matters, and what does
not, in an administration where remaining on the right side of a
mercurial president is valued above all else.
Mr. Modly’s decision to remove Captain
Crozier without first conducting an investigation went contrary to the
wishes of both the Navy’s top admiral, Michael M. Gilday, the chief of
naval operations, and the military’s top officer, Gen. Mark A. Milley,
the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
“I am appalled at the content of his
address to the crew,” retired Adm. Mike Mullen, the chairman of the
Joint Chiefs of Staff under Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama,
said in a telephone interview, referring to Mr. Modly.
Mr. Modly,
Admiral Mullen said, “has become a vehicle for the president. He
basically has completely undermined, throughout the T.R. situation, the
uniformed leadership of the Navy and the military leadership in
general.”
Several current and former Navy and
national security officials said the Roosevelt episode illustrated how
civilian leaders in this administration made questionable decisions
based on what they feared Mr. Trump’s response would be.
