The USS Theodore Roosevelt is one of the most formidable weapons in the arsenal of the United States Armed Forces.
The Nimitz-class nuclear power aircraft carrier has a crew of thousands and carries 90 fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters. Its range at sea is only limited by food and supplies.
However, these days it is effectively paralyzed at a port in the US territory of Guam with more than 100 young, healthy sailors and soldiers infected with the novel coronavirus.
Now, the captain is pleading with Navy officials for resources to prevent the situation from spiraling out of control. (San Francisco Chronicle)
The unusual plea from Capt. Brett Crozier, a Santa Rosa native, came in a letter obtained exclusively by The Chronicle and confirmed by a senior officer on board the aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt, which has been docked in Guam following a COVID-19 outbreak among the crew of more than 4,000 less than a week ago.
“This will require a political solution but it is the right thing to do,” Crozier wrote. “We are not at war. Sailors do not need to die. If we do not act now, we are failing to properly take care of our most trusted asset — our Sailors.”
In the four-page letter to senior military officials, Crozier said only a small contingent of infected sailors have been off-boarded. Most of the crew remain aboard the ship, where following official guidelines for 14-day quarantines and social distancing is impossible.
“Due to a warship’s inherent limitations of space, we are not doing this,” Crozier wrote. “The spread of the disease is ongoing and accelerating.”
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Is the ship fully immersed in a 5G environment? If so, TURN IT OFF!
WTF has 5G to do with COVID-19? Does the virus travel through the phones’ signals? Geez, let’s just advertise to the world how dumb you are, Mike!
When are we going to figure it out. This is not that bad a deal. Of the testing in Texas only 5% of those tested had the disease. Only 20 dead and most of them old. Of those who tested sick, about 100 are in hospitals. The numbers indicate that the situation is NOT that bad but is being hyped by all those who WANT it to be bad.
Stop being jerked around. This is described as a COLD ON STEROIDS.
IF you let them, they will TERRORIZE you.
Why isn’t the Gov’t. supplying hydroxychloroquine and Azithromax to these sailors, and using the chloroquine as a PREVENTATIVE for all other soldiers on this ship??? NO MORE PEOPLE NEED TO DIE with all of the drugs we have available to FIGHT THE COVID 19 VIRUS!!! This is so SENSELESS to keep allowing people to DIE!!! COME ON, AMERICA – LET’S GET VOCAL AND DEMAND THE USE OF THESE DRUGS TO SAVE LIVES!!!
since the 50′,60′ and the 70’s Nam era veterans have told of the nasty side effects from these anti -malaria along with G.I.’s using the same or different drugs in to the 80’s , 90’s etc to present date !! The GENERAL ORDER to ingest one tablet of chloroquine and one of primaquine every week for the prevention of malaria. We were told that the only side effects were nausea, stomach cramps, vomiting and diarrhea. We were NEVER informed of the more serious side effects of these medications which included heart murmurs, liver and kidney failure as well as irreversible corneal and retinal tissue damage.
ChIna had most of the supply and they aren’t exporting it anymore so our labs are ramping up to produce it as fast as they can
Where is the chloroquine? Why aren’t we hearing about it, anymore? Is distribution being prevented? If so, why, and by whom?
A senior officer commanding one of our largest formidable weapons systems complaining, while offering no suggestions to remedy the situation. My policy as a leader of personnel was my door was always open for complaints, WITH recommendations for improving the situation. That qualification did cut down on traffic.
The Marines have a saying that pretty much goes “F**k what you don’t have that don’t help you – you have to get it done with what you DO have.”
As a former carrier sailor, I would remind the TR captain that the Navy is well aware that sailors “don’t need to die”; and I have every confidence that the Navy is working overtime to get this and other Navy ships the supplies and equipment that they require to fight this virus. It is a challenge that most people can’t contemplate. Everybody needs the same things at the same time; and they need to understand that it can’t happen over night. TR will get everything they need as soon as it is humanly possible. In the meantime they will conduct themselves as they would need to do in any other war.
Yo, Paul. USS Hornet in the ’50s, and another sixteen years more. Interesting observations on this bunch of posts — Some of these folks seem to be hinting that the CO is too stupid to appreciate his crew’s situation. Hint, civilians. When an officer get up to senior command levels on bird-farms, he is a competent and well-seasoned leader.
Americans should demand that the US Government Supply the hydroxychloroquine and Azithromax to these sailors. They both are proven to work and should be used to save lives of our soldiers. President Trump has allowed the right to try these drugs
since the 50′,60′ and the 70’s Nam era veterans have told of the nasty side effects from these anti -malaria along with G.I.’s using the same or different drugs in to the 80’s , 90’s etc to present date !! The GENERAL ORDER to ingest one tablet of chloroquine and one of primaquine every week for the prevention of malaria. We were told that the only side effects were nausea, stomach cramps, vomiting and diarrhea. We were NEVER informed of the more serious side effects of these medications which included heart murmurs, liver and kidney failure as well as irreversible corneal and retinal tissue damage.
Was this the carrier where the captain allowed shore leave in Vietnam just a few weeks ago? if so, first step is a new captain.
It’s funny to me that on one carrier, the virus is a big threat and on another carrier, there’s a hospital for curing the virus. ????
Yes-one is caused by irresponsibility, the other by responsibility.
The govt / president MUST do everything possible to help this ship for more than one reason!!!! This is unacceptable!!!!!!
Trump might cause the death of 4000 sailors. Hail to the commander-in-chief coward.
Nigel…keep trying…and SOMEDAY you’ll be a REAL boy! You jerk!
Indeed. A real idiot, that one.
Come back when you grow up, tinkerbell.
You are such a Liberal dumb ass
OK Norma,
Let’s hear YOUR remedy beside ” something has to be done”.
You don’t think everybody who is involved in the solution ISN’T trying their best to come up with a cure?
It’s people like you who say or complain nothing is being done, but have NO CLUE or suggestions
of what to do.
this sounds like some fake news to me being the US has a big base there with a big modern hospital and also if nothing else they have a big flight deck they can put tents on also these ships operate as a battle group where are the rest of the ships so to me this sounds like democrat crap news
I hear many governors whining about how their states are unprepared for a pandemic – of course they blame Trump – BUT – let’s look at the truth. The truth is IT IS NOT the presidents job to prepare each state for emergencies – that is THE GOVERNORS JOB! Don’t be fooled by these buffoons who are trying to blame everyone else for THEIR FAILURES.
I’m not and I agree with you…….even down to mayors like the moron in New Orleans who blames Trump because he didn’t warnt hem to cancel Mardi Gras.
Don – If Trump has to make decisions at the governor/mayor level, why do we need the state politicians to begin with?
Seems to me that ship needs a new captain. Sounds frantic with no ideas of what to do.
Ed, neither of us are in that ship. I’m assuming that the port call in Nam was scheduled and was a normal port-of-call. Navy ships do NOT call on ports that are notorious for infectious disease pandemics. Stuff happens: Germs happen: Senior officers do NOT come with germ alarms.
Wow children should not be given responsibilities they are not able to handle. I hope he will be fired. Leaders are not scared Never!
Nigel Cairns go f$##^ck yourself. Your a total idiot. You have no idea on the situation. Who ever you are go back to your rock and never come out again. Former Carrier sailor red shirt. You dumb F#$%^ck.