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Acting Navy secretary offers to resign over handling of virus-stricken aircraft carrier – POLITICO, Politico

Acting Navy secretary offers to resign over handling of virus-stricken aircraft carrier – POLITICO, Politico

Acting Navy Secretary Thomas Modly. | Alex Brandon, File / AP Photo

Acting Navy Secretary Thomas Modly resigned on Tuesday following an uproar over a profanity-laced address to the crew of the coronavirus-stricken aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt on Sunday, Defense Secretary Mark Esper announced.

Modly submitted his resignation letter to Esper on Tuesday after meeting with his boss one-on-one, a defense official with knowledge of the meeting said.

“He resigned on his own accord, putting the Navy and Sailors above self so that the USS Theodore Roosevelt, and the Navy as an institution, can move forward,” Esper said in a statement.

Army Undersecretary James McPherson will be tapped to temporarily lead the Navy Department, Esper said. McPherson was confirmed to be the Army’s No. 2 on March 30, a little more than two weeks ago.

In his resignation letter, a copy of which was obtained by POLITICO, Modly thanked Esper and President Donald Trump for their “confidence” in him.

“More than anything, I owe every member of the Navy and Marine Corps team a lifetime of gratitude for the opportunity to serve for them, and with them, once again,” Modly wrote in the brief letter, which was addressed to Esper. “The men and women of the Department of the Navy deserve a continuity of civilian leadership befitting our great Republic, and the decisive naval force that secures our way of life.”

Modly was more loquacious in a memo to the force, in which he acknowledged that he “lost situational awareness” during his address to the Roosevelt’s crew.

“You are justified in being angry with me about that,” Modly wrote in the memo, which was obtained by POLITICO. “There is no excuse, but perhaps a glimpse of understanding, and hopefully empathy.”

“I am deeply sorry for some of the words and for how they spread across the media landscape like a wildfire,” Modly continued.

Later In the four-page memo, Modly urged sailors not to “be afraid” to bring up issues of concern to their immediate superiors, but noted that “there is a proper, courteous and respectful way to do this.”

Modly, who fired the ship’s commanding officer Capt. Brett Crozier on Thursday, late Monday was forced to issue an apology to the crew after calling Crozier’s decision to send a letter requesting assistance to a broad array of Navy personnel “naive” and “stupid.”

Esper “did not care for” Modly’s comments on the carrier and instructed the acting secretary on Monday to issue an apology to the crew and to Crozier, said a second senior defense official.

After Modly offered his resignation, Esper spoke with other senior leaders in the department about naming a replacement, the second official said. Esper then went to the president to get his approval on selecting McPherson for the job.

Meanwhile, Esper’s staff was busy making calls to lawmakers to try to accelerate the confirmation of Kenneth Braithwaite, the former ambassador to Norway who has been nominated for the permanent Navy secretary role, according to a former Defense official with knowledge of the conversation. His nomination has been sent over to the Senate but has languished for weeks without action.

Modly’s resignation caps an extraordinary 24 hours following the Monday morning leak of the acting Navy leader’s address to the crew of the Roosevelt while the ship is tied up in Guam . Modly, who fired the ship’s commanding officer Capt. Brett Crozier on Thursday, late Monday was forced to issue an apology to the crew after calling Crozier’s decision to send a letter requesting assistance to a broad array of Navy personnel “naive” and “stupid.”

Modly’s remarks, which sailors recorded and leaked to the media on Monday, prompted more than a dozen members of Congress to call for Modly’s resignation.

“I want to apologize to the Navy for my recent comments to the crew of the TR,” Modly said in a statement Monday night. “Let me be clear, I do not think Captain Brett Crozier is naïve nor stupid. I think, and always believed him to be the opposite. ”

The senior defense official said that when Modly made his comments to the crew, the Naval Academy graduate and former helicopter pilot “went back to his roots as a sailor.”

“He allowed his time in uniform to color his comments,” the official said. “Having seen the level of effort that went into this he wanted to be very direct to the crew.”

The apology came just hours after Modly doubled down on his remarks, issuing a statement saying he stands by “every word.”

The turmoil began after a virus outbreak forced the Roosevelt, which was deployed in the Pacific, to dock in Guam and begin quarantining sailors from the ship. Crozier sent the letter asking for help from Navy leadership on March , and Modly fired Crozier three days later over his decision to email the letter to several Navy personnel rather than using official secured channels.

In the letter, Crozier urged “decisive action” to remove the “majority of personnel” from the carrier.

“We are not at war. Sailors do not need to die, “Crozier wrote.” If we do not act now, we are failing to properly take care of our most trusted asset – our sailors. ”

Upon firing Crozier last Thursday, Modly told reporters that the Navy was already surging people and resources to help the ship fight the outbreak. Modly had also offered to give Crozier his cell number so he could get the ship what it needs.

“I could reach no other conclusion that Capt. Crozier had allowed the complexity of his challenge with the Covid breakout on the ship to overwhelm his ability to act professionally when acting professionally was what was needed at the most at the time, “Modly told reporters on Thursday.” We do and we should expect more from the commanding officers of our aircraft carriers. “

Roughly 2, sailors have been moved ashore and are in isolation as the Navy tests the personnel aboard the ship. More than 00000171 sailors have tested positive for the coronavirus.

Trump signaled on Monday night that he did think Crozier’s career should end over the letter asking for help from Navy leaders and describing the crew’s condition in dire terms. Trump said he planned to “get involved” in the decision because “you have two good people and they’re arguing.”

On Crozier, Trump said that “the letter shouldn’t have been sent,” but added that “his career prior to that was very good.”

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