Brett Crozier facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Brett E. Crozier
Birth name	Brett Elliott Crozier
Born	(1970-02-24) February 24, 1970 (age 55) Santa Rosa, California, U.S.
Allegiance	United States
Service/branch	United States Navy
Years of service	1992–2022
Rank	Captain
Commands held	USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71) USS Blue Ridge (LCC-19) VFA-94
Battles/wars	Iraq War
Awards	Legion of Merit (3)

Brett Elliott Crozier (born February 24, 1970) is a retired United States Navy captain. He is best known for his actions as the commanding officer of the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt during a COVID-19 outbreak in 2020.

Crozier graduated from the United States Naval Academy and became a naval pilot. He first flew helicopters and later switched to fighter jets. After training to work with nuclear power, he served on several aircraft carriers.

In the spring of 2020, COVID-19 spread among the crew of his ship, the USS Theodore Roosevelt. Captain Crozier wrote a letter to Navy leaders asking for help to get his crew safely ashore. The letter was leaked to the news. Because of this, he was removed from his command. Crozier later tested positive for the virus himself. He was given a new job on land and retired from the Navy in 2022.

Early Life and Schooling

Brett Elliott Crozier was born and raised in Santa Rosa, California. He went to Santa Rosa High School and graduated in 1988. After high school, he attended the United States Naval Academy in Maryland, finishing in 1992.

Later in his career, he continued his education. In 2007, he earned a master's degree from the Naval War College. In 2014, he completed his training at the Nuclear Power School, which prepared him to serve on nuclear-powered ships.

A Career in the Navy

Crozier became a naval pilot in 1994. He started by flying SH-60 Seahawk helicopters. He was sent on missions in the Pacific Ocean and the Persian Gulf.

In 1999, he began working in a Navy office that managed pilots' careers. He then trained to fly the F/A-18 Hornet fighter jet. In 2003, he flew missions from the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz during Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Over the next several years, Crozier served in different fighter squadrons. He was an instructor and later became the commanding officer (CO) of a squadron called VFA-94. As CO, he led his pilots on many missions in the Pacific and the Middle East.

After commanding his squadron, Crozier worked with NATO in Italy. He helped plan air missions in Libya. From 2014 to 2016, he was the executive officer (second-in-command) of the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan. He then commanded the ship USS Blue Ridge from 2017 to 2018. On November 1, 2019, he became the captain of the nuclear aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt.

COVID-19 on the USS Theodore Roosevelt

The USS Theodore Roosevelt in October 2019, a month before Crozier became its captain.

In March 2020, while the USS Theodore Roosevelt was at sea, the COVID-19 virus began to spread among the crew. It started with three sailors testing positive, but the number quickly grew to dozens.

The ship was ordered to the island of Guam. Captain Crozier wanted to move most of his 4,865 crew members off the ship. He argued it was impossible to stop the virus from spreading in the ship's tight spaces. His superior officer, Rear Admiral Stuart P. Baker, disagreed, thinking it was too extreme.

The Leaked Letter

On March 30, 2020, Crozier sent a four-page letter to ten Navy officers, including three admirals. In the letter, he asked for permission to evacuate most of the crew to keep them safe. He explained that the ship was more crowded than a cruise ship that had a major outbreak earlier.

The next day, the letter was leaked to the San Francisco Chronicle newspaper, which published it. The Navy then ordered the ship to be evacuated, leaving only a small crew to run essential systems like the nuclear reactors.

Losing His Command

On April 2, 2020, the acting Secretary of the Navy, Thomas Modly, removed Crozier from his command. At the time, 114 sailors had tested positive for the virus.

As Captain Crozier left the ship, sailors cheered for him and chanted his name. Videos of this moment were shared widely on social media and news channels.

After Leaving the Ship

Captain Crozier was placed in quarantine in Guam and later tested positive for COVID-19. Captain Carlos A. Sardiello took over as the temporary commander of the Theodore Roosevelt.

Secretary Modly said Crozier showed "extremely poor judgment" by sending the letter to multiple people. However, many people, including some politicians, supported Crozier. They said he was right to be concerned for his crew's health. President Donald Trump criticized Crozier, while his future opponent Joe Biden said Crozier should be praised, not fired.

A few days later, Secretary Modly visited the ship and gave a speech to the crew. He criticized Crozier, saying he was "too naïve or too stupid" to be a commanding officer. A recording of the speech was leaked, and Modly later apologized. He resigned from his position the next day.

Sadly, one crew member, Chief Petty Officer Charles Robert Thacker Jr., died from the virus on April 13.

Navy Investigations

The Navy investigated the situation. At first, the Navy's top admiral, Michael M. Gilday, considered giving Crozier his command back. This would have been a very rare event.

However, a second, more detailed investigation came to a different conclusion. It said that both Crozier and his superior, Admiral Baker, had made mistakes. The report said Crozier did not act quickly enough to move sailors off the ship and did not enforce social distancing rules well. As a result, the Navy decided not to return him to his command.

Crozier was given a new job in San Diego. He retired from the Navy in March 2022. He now lives in California and is the CEO of a company called LTA Research, which develops new types of airships.

Awards and Decorations

Book About His Life

In 2023, Crozier wrote a book about his experiences called Surf When You Can: Lessons in Life, Loyalty, and Leadership from a Maverick Navy Captain. In the book, he explains how surfing helped him find balance in his life.

He said that spending more time with family and friends helped him focus and perform better at work. Crozier has also given several interviews to talk about his book and his time in the Navy.

See also

• Round-Robin Letter (Spanish–American War)
• Li Wenliang, a Chinese doctor who was one of the first to warn about COVID-19.