WEBVTT 00:00.387 --> 00:03.056 - And we'll start with (mumbles) from acting the secretary, 00:03.056 --> 00:04.432 Thomas Modly, we'll have some few remarks 00:04.432 --> 00:07.360 and we're gonna take four questions Mr. (mumbles). 00:07.360 --> 00:08.923 - Okay. 00:08.923 --> 00:09.756 Good afternoon. 00:10.820 --> 00:12.400 Thank you again for your diligence 00:12.400 --> 00:15.374 and courage in keeping the American people informed 00:15.374 --> 00:18.350 as we all deal with the profound ramifications, 00:18.350 --> 00:22.780 and rapid developments, associated with this virus crisis. 00:22.780 --> 00:26.480 I am here today to inform you that today at my direction, 00:26.480 --> 00:29.130 the Commanding Officer of the USS Theodore Roosevelt, 00:29.130 --> 00:32.030 Captain Brett Crozier, was relieved of command 00:32.030 --> 00:33.620 by Carrier Strike Group Commander, 00:33.620 --> 00:34.970 Rear Admiral Stewart Baker. 00:36.220 --> 00:38.190 The Executive Officer, Captain Dan Keeler, 00:38.190 --> 00:40.430 has assumed command temporarily until such time 00:40.430 --> 00:43.330 as Rear Admiral select Carlos Sardiello, 00:43.330 --> 00:45.930 arrives in Guam to assume command. 00:45.930 --> 00:49.020 Rear Admiral Select Sardiello is a former commanding officer 00:49.020 --> 00:52.100 of the Theodore Roosevelt so he is extremely well-acquainted 00:52.100 --> 00:55.560 with the ship, many members of its crew, and the operations 00:55.560 --> 00:58.170 and the capabilities of the ship itself. 00:58.170 --> 00:59.970 He is the best person in the Navy right now 00:59.970 --> 01:03.473 to take command under these unusual circumstances. 01:04.830 --> 01:06.400 As the Secretary of the Navy, 01:06.400 --> 01:08.610 I could not be more proud of our men and women, 01:08.610 --> 01:11.550 serving as part of the Navy and Marine Corps team right now. 01:11.550 --> 01:14.840 I can assure you that no one cares more than I do 01:14.840 --> 01:17.006 about their safety and welfare. 01:17.006 --> 01:19.970 I myself has a son in uniform right now, 01:19.970 --> 01:23.260 who's currently serving on active duty in Korea, 01:23.260 --> 01:24.783 flying missions everyday, 01:25.750 --> 01:28.650 in one of the nations that was not the first ones 01:28.650 --> 01:32.360 to have a significant spike in Coronavirus case. 01:32.360 --> 01:35.630 I understand, both as a parent and a veteran, 01:35.630 --> 01:37.900 how critical our support lines are for the health 01:37.900 --> 01:39.680 and well-being of our people, 01:39.680 --> 01:42.543 especially now in the midst of this global pandemic. 01:43.580 --> 01:46.070 But there is a larger strategic context, 01:46.070 --> 01:48.860 one full of national security imperatives, 01:48.860 --> 01:52.320 of which all our commanders must all be aware of today. 01:52.320 --> 01:55.280 While we may not be at war in a traditional sense, 01:55.280 --> 01:57.053 neither are we truly at peace. 01:58.180 --> 02:00.880 Authoritarian regimes are on the rise, 02:00.880 --> 02:02.720 many nations are reaching in many ways 02:02.720 --> 02:04.691 to reduce our capacity to accomplish 02:04.691 --> 02:08.270 our own strategic national goals. 02:08.270 --> 02:10.970 This is actively happening every day. 02:10.970 --> 02:13.750 It's been a long time since the Navy and Marine Corps team 02:13.750 --> 02:15.470 has faced this broad array 02:15.470 --> 02:18.820 of capable global strategic challengers. 02:18.820 --> 02:22.700 A more agile and a more resilient mentality is necessary, 02:22.700 --> 02:25.370 up and down the chain of command. 02:25.370 --> 02:28.650 Perhaps more so now than in the recent past, 02:28.650 --> 02:31.313 we require commanders with the judgment, 02:32.640 --> 02:35.960 maturity and leadership composure under pressure, 02:35.960 --> 02:38.950 to understand the ramifications of their actions within 02:38.950 --> 02:41.860 that larger dynamic strategic context. 02:41.860 --> 02:44.630 We all understand and cherish our responsibilities, 02:44.630 --> 02:48.000 and frankly our love, for all of our people in uniform, 02:48.000 --> 02:50.480 but to allow those emotions to color our judgment 02:50.480 --> 02:53.860 when communicating the current operational picture can 02:53.860 --> 02:57.030 at best, create unnecessary confusion, 02:57.030 --> 02:59.790 and at worst provide an incomplete picture 02:59.790 --> 03:02.713 of American combat readiness to our adversaries. 03:03.960 --> 03:06.143 When the Commanding Officer of the USS Theodore Roosevelt, 03:06.143 --> 03:09.810 decided to write his letter on the 30 March, 2020, 03:09.810 --> 03:12.070 that outlined his concerns for his crew in the midst 03:12.070 --> 03:14.400 of the COVID-19 outbreak, 03:14.400 --> 03:17.100 the Department of the Navy had already mobilized significant 03:17.100 --> 03:22.100 resources for days in response to his previous requests. 03:22.280 --> 03:24.680 On the same date marked on his letter, 03:24.680 --> 03:28.610 my Chief of Staff called the CO directly, at my direction, 03:28.610 --> 03:30.690 to ensure he had all the resources necessary 03:30.690 --> 03:33.180 for the health and safety of his crew. 03:33.180 --> 03:34.810 The CO told my Chief of Staff 03:34.810 --> 03:36.870 that he was receiving those resources, 03:36.870 --> 03:39.210 and he was fully aware of the Navy's response, 03:39.210 --> 03:41.130 only asking that the he wished the crew could 03:41.130 --> 03:43.210 be evacuated faster. 03:43.210 --> 03:45.090 My Chief of Staff ensured that the CO knew 03:45.090 --> 03:49.270 that he had an open line to me at any time for him to call. 03:49.270 --> 03:53.780 He even called the CO again the day later to follow up, 03:53.780 --> 03:56.750 and at no time did the CO relay the various levels 03:56.750 --> 03:59.900 of alarm that I, along with the rest of the world, 03:59.900 --> 04:02.040 learned from his letter when it was published 04:02.040 --> 04:04.763 by the CO's hometown newspaper two days later. 04:05.910 --> 04:07.580 Once I read the letter, I immediately called 04:07.580 --> 04:09.850 the Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral Gilday, 04:09.850 --> 04:13.710 and the Commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet, Admiral Aquilino. 04:13.710 --> 04:15.260 Admiral Gilday had just read the letter 04:15.260 --> 04:18.570 that morning as well, and Admiral Aquilino had just received 04:18.570 --> 04:20.760 it the day before, and of course we're dealing 04:20.760 --> 04:22.891 with time zone changes. 04:22.891 --> 04:25.340 We had a teleconference within minutes of me reading 04:25.340 --> 04:26.650 that letter and the article, 04:26.650 --> 04:28.550 including with the Commander of the Seventh Fleet, 04:28.550 --> 04:33.020 Vice Admiral Bill Merz, Admiral Aquilino, Admiral Gilday, 04:33.020 --> 04:35.450 the Department of the Navy Surgeon General, 04:35.450 --> 04:38.140 Rear Admiral Bruce Gillingham, and others. 04:38.140 --> 04:39.860 That evening, we held another teleconference 04:39.860 --> 04:41.920 with the entire chain of command. 04:41.920 --> 04:44.290 The next day, I spoke directly with the CO 04:44.290 --> 04:46.120 of the Theodore Roosevelt. 04:46.120 --> 04:49.090 And this morning, I have spoken to the Theodore Roosevelt's 04:49.090 --> 04:52.930 Carrier Strike Group Commander Rear Admiral, Stuart Baker. 04:52.930 --> 04:55.130 Rear Admiral Baker did not know about the letter before 04:55.130 --> 04:58.900 it was sent to him via email from the commanding officer. 04:58.900 --> 05:00.350 It's important to understand 05:00.350 --> 05:03.270 that the Strike Group Commander, the CO's immediate boss, 05:03.270 --> 05:05.950 is embarked on the Theodore Roosevelt with him, 05:05.950 --> 05:08.010 right down the passage way. 05:08.010 --> 05:12.230 The letter was sent over non- secure unclassified email, 05:12.230 --> 05:14.510 even though the ship possesses some 05:14.510 --> 05:16.360 of the most sophisticated communications 05:16.360 --> 05:19.340 and equipment in the fleet. 05:19.340 --> 05:21.360 And it wasn't just sent up the chain of command, 05:21.360 --> 05:25.200 it was sent and copied to a broad array of other people. 05:25.200 --> 05:27.450 It was sent outside of the chain of command. 05:27.450 --> 05:30.800 At the same time, the rest of the Navy was fully responding. 05:30.800 --> 05:33.380 Worse, the captain's actions made his sailors, 05:33.380 --> 05:35.640 their families and many in the public believe 05:35.640 --> 05:39.610 that his letter was the only reason help from our larger 05:39.610 --> 05:43.650 Navy family was forthcoming, which was hardly the case. 05:43.650 --> 05:47.840 Command is a sacred trust that must be continually earned, 05:47.840 --> 05:49.513 both from sailors and marines, 05:50.700 --> 05:53.370 from the sailors and marines that one leads, 05:53.370 --> 05:54.930 and from the institution which grants 05:54.930 --> 05:57.460 that special and honored privilege. 05:57.460 --> 05:59.780 As I learned more about the events over the past week 05:59.780 --> 06:01.247 on board the Theodore Roosevelt, 06:01.247 --> 06:03.230 including my personal conversations 06:03.230 --> 06:05.210 with the Strike Group commander, 06:05.210 --> 06:07.850 Commander of Seventh Fleet, Commander of US Pacific Fleet, 06:07.850 --> 06:09.270 and the Chief of Naval Operations 06:09.270 --> 06:11.300 and Captain Crozier and myself, 06:11.300 --> 06:13.620 I could reach no other conclusion 06:13.620 --> 06:16.020 that Captain Crozier had allowed the complexity 06:16.020 --> 06:18.600 of his challenge with the COVID breakout on the ship 06:18.600 --> 06:21.840 to overwhelm his ability to act professionally. 06:21.840 --> 06:23.070 When acting professionally was 06:23.070 --> 06:25.320 what was needed most at the time. 06:25.320 --> 06:29.590 We do and we should expect more from the commanding officer 06:29.590 --> 06:30.973 of our aircraft carriers. 06:32.300 --> 06:34.970 I did not come to this decision lightly. 06:34.970 --> 06:37.780 I have no doubt in my mind that Captain Crozier did 06:37.780 --> 06:40.140 what he thought was in the best interests of the safety 06:40.140 --> 06:42.220 and well-being of his crew. 06:42.220 --> 06:43.970 Unfortunately, it did the opposite. 06:44.910 --> 06:47.030 It unnecessarily raised alarms with the families 06:47.030 --> 06:48.910 of our sailors and marines with no plan 06:48.910 --> 06:50.383 to address those concerns. 06:51.360 --> 06:53.700 It raised concerns about the operational capabilities 06:53.700 --> 06:55.840 and operational security of that ship, 06:55.840 --> 06:57.790 that could have emboldened our adversaries 06:57.790 --> 07:00.320 to seek advantage, and it undermined the chain 07:00.320 --> 07:02.810 of command who had been moving and adjusting as rapidly 07:02.810 --> 07:05.650 as possible to get him the help he needed. 07:05.650 --> 07:09.000 For these reasons, I lost confidence in his ability 07:09.000 --> 07:11.790 to continue to lead that warship as it fights through 07:11.790 --> 07:14.620 this virus, to get the crew healthy, 07:14.620 --> 07:16.000 and so that they continue to meet 07:16.000 --> 07:18.950 its important national security requirements. 07:18.950 --> 07:20.430 In my judgment, 07:20.430 --> 07:23.350 relieving him of command was in the best interest 07:23.350 --> 07:25.740 of the United States Navy and the nation, 07:25.740 --> 07:29.080 in this time when the nation needs the Navy to be strong 07:29.080 --> 07:33.438 and confident in the face of adversity. 07:33.438 --> 07:37.690 The responsibility for this decision rests with me. 07:37.690 --> 07:40.510 I expect no congratulations for it. 07:40.510 --> 07:43.140 And it gives me no pleasure in making it. 07:43.140 --> 07:45.800 Captain Crozier is an honorable man, 07:45.800 --> 07:48.480 who despite this uncharacteristic lapse of judgment 07:48.480 --> 07:51.820 has dedicated himself throughout a lifetime 07:51.820 --> 07:54.380 of incredible service to our nation, 07:54.380 --> 07:57.313 and he should be proud of that, as we all are. 07:58.250 --> 08:00.500 Pursuant to this action with my full Support, 08:00.500 --> 08:02.850 the Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral Gilday, 08:02.850 --> 08:05.302 has directed the Vice Chief of Naval Operations, 08:05.302 --> 08:07.930 Admiral Robert Burke, to conduct an investigation 08:07.930 --> 08:09.833 into the circumstances in the climate, 08:10.750 --> 08:12.310 across the entire Pacific Fleet, 08:12.310 --> 08:14.350 to help determine what may have contributed 08:14.350 --> 08:17.700 to this breakdown in the chain of command. 08:17.700 --> 08:19.880 We must ensure we can count on the right judgment, 08:19.880 --> 08:22.510 professionalism, composure and leadership 08:22.510 --> 08:25.240 from our commanding officers everywhere in our Navy 08:25.240 --> 08:27.110 and Marine Corps team. 08:27.110 --> 08:29.800 But especially in the western Pacific. 08:29.800 --> 08:32.710 I have no indication that there is a broader problem in 08:32.710 --> 08:35.590 this regard, but we have an obligation to calmly 08:35.590 --> 08:38.303 and evenly investigate it nonetheless. 08:39.360 --> 08:40.853 To our commanding officers. 08:42.280 --> 08:46.020 And this is an important message to our commanding officers. 08:46.020 --> 08:49.060 It would be a mistake to view this decision as somehow 08:49.060 --> 08:51.960 not supportive of your duty to report problems, 08:51.960 --> 08:55.330 request help, protect your crews, 08:55.330 --> 08:58.250 challenges assumptions as you see fit. 08:58.250 --> 09:02.210 This decision is not one of retribution. 09:02.210 --> 09:03.763 It is about confidence. 09:04.660 --> 09:07.080 It is not an indictment of character, 09:07.080 --> 09:09.220 but rather of judgment. 09:09.220 --> 09:11.130 While I do take issue with the validity of some 09:11.130 --> 09:13.330 of the points and Captain Crozier's letter, 09:13.330 --> 09:15.883 he was absolutely correct in raising them. 09:17.380 --> 09:19.600 It was the way in which he did it, 09:19.600 --> 09:23.060 by not working through and with his Strike Group commander, 09:23.060 --> 09:26.770 to develop a strategy to resolve the problems he raised 09:26.770 --> 09:27.860 by not sending the letter 09:27.860 --> 09:30.150 to and through his chain of command, 09:30.150 --> 09:32.770 and to people outside his chain of command, 09:32.770 --> 09:34.620 by not protecting the sensitive nature of 09:34.620 --> 09:38.330 the information contained within the letter appropriately. 09:38.330 --> 09:41.710 And lastly, by not reaching out to me directly 09:41.710 --> 09:44.070 to voice his concerns after that avenue 09:44.070 --> 09:47.470 had been clearly provided to him through my team. 09:47.470 --> 09:49.510 That was unacceptable to me. 09:49.510 --> 09:54.280 Let me be clear, to all the commanding officers out there. 09:54.280 --> 09:56.370 You all have a duty to be transparent 09:56.370 --> 09:58.490 with your respective chains of command. 09:58.490 --> 10:01.240 Even if you fear they might disagree with you. 10:01.240 --> 10:05.230 This duty requires courage, but it also requires a respect 10:05.230 --> 10:08.590 for that chain of command and respect for the sensitivity 10:08.590 --> 10:11.650 of the information you decide to share, 10:11.650 --> 10:14.000 and the manner in which you choose to share it. 10:14.840 --> 10:16.833 Finally and perhaps most importantly, 10:17.930 --> 10:20.200 I would like to send a message to the crew 10:20.200 --> 10:23.943 of Theodore Roosevelt and their families back here at home. 10:25.440 --> 10:27.800 I am entirely convinced 10:27.800 --> 10:30.497 that your commanding officer loves you, 10:30.497 --> 10:32.750 and that he had you at the center of his heart 10:32.750 --> 10:36.180 and mind in every decision that he has made. 10:36.180 --> 10:38.290 I also know that you have great affection 10:38.290 --> 10:40.423 and love for him as well. 10:41.310 --> 10:44.100 But it's my responsibility to ensure that his love 10:44.100 --> 10:49.100 and concern for you is matched if not exceeded by his sober 10:50.100 --> 10:52.273 and professional judgment under pressure. 10:53.240 --> 10:56.090 You deserve that throughout all the dangerous activities 10:56.090 --> 10:59.750 for which you train so diligently but most importantly, 10:59.750 --> 11:02.880 for all the situations which are unpredictable 11:02.880 --> 11:04.960 and are hard to plan for. 11:04.960 --> 11:07.993 It's important because you are the TR, 11:09.060 --> 11:10.433 you are the big stick. 11:11.280 --> 11:13.950 And what happens on board the TR matters far beyond 11:13.950 --> 11:16.320 the physical limits of your haul. 11:16.320 --> 11:19.240 Your shipmates across the fleet need to know 11:20.880 --> 11:23.520 for you that you'll be strong and ready. 11:23.520 --> 11:26.337 And most especially right now they need to know 11:26.337 --> 11:29.663 that you're gonna be courageous in the face of adversity. 11:30.890 --> 11:33.760 The nation needs to know that the big stick is undaunted 11:33.760 --> 11:37.140 and unstoppable, and that you will stay that way as long 11:37.140 --> 11:41.270 as the Navy helps you through this COVID-19 challenge. 11:41.270 --> 11:44.280 Our adversaries need to know this as well. 11:44.280 --> 11:47.383 They respect and fear the big stick and they should. 11:48.320 --> 11:51.090 We'll not allow anything to diminish that respect and fear 11:51.090 --> 11:54.700 as you and the rest of our nation fights through this virus. 11:54.700 --> 11:58.290 As I stated, we are not at war by traditional measures. 11:58.290 --> 12:00.490 But neither are we at peace. 12:00.490 --> 12:03.570 The Nation you defend is in a fight right now 12:03.570 --> 12:07.210 for our economic, personal and political security, 12:07.210 --> 12:08.810 and you are on the front lines 12:08.810 --> 12:10.863 of that fight in so many ways. 12:12.330 --> 12:15.297 You can offer comfort to your fellow citizens 12:15.297 --> 12:17.670 who are struggling and fearful here at home 12:17.670 --> 12:20.240 by standing the watch, and working your way through 12:20.240 --> 12:22.850 this pandemic with courage and optimism, 12:22.850 --> 12:25.250 and set the example for the nation. 12:25.250 --> 12:27.490 We have an obligation to ensure you have everything 12:27.490 --> 12:29.910 you need, as fast as we can get it there. 12:29.910 --> 12:32.720 And you have my commitment that that's what we will do, 12:32.720 --> 12:35.030 and we're not gonna let you down. 12:35.030 --> 12:38.110 The nation you have sworn to defend is in a fight. 12:38.110 --> 12:40.820 And the nations and bad actors around the world 12:40.820 --> 12:43.453 who wish us harm should understand 12:43.453 --> 12:45.553 that the big stick is in the neighborhood, 12:46.420 --> 12:48.880 and that our crew is standing the watch. 12:48.880 --> 12:51.882 Thank you and I'm ready to answer your questions. 12:51.882 --> 12:53.267 - Admiral Gilday, could you have a (mumbles) comment. 12:57.860 --> 12:58.693 - Thank you, Mr. Secretary. 12:58.693 --> 13:00.500 Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. 13:00.500 --> 13:02.450 The secretary of the Navy has lost confidence 13:02.450 --> 13:05.370 in the commanding officer of the USS Theodore Roosevelt. 13:05.370 --> 13:07.550 And I support the secretary in his decision 13:07.550 --> 13:09.340 to relieve Captain Crozier. 13:09.340 --> 13:11.120 I have been given every opportunity, 13:11.120 --> 13:13.500 every step of the way to provide my advice 13:13.500 --> 13:16.330 to the secretary as he came to this decision. 13:16.330 --> 13:18.350 That is why we're taking this action today as well 13:18.350 --> 13:21.030 as initiating an investigation into the events 13:21.030 --> 13:24.690 that unfolded aboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt. 13:24.690 --> 13:28.620 Make no mistake. Nobody cares more about our sailors 13:28.620 --> 13:30.610 and those aboard the Theodore Roosevelt, 13:30.610 --> 13:32.400 than our leadership in the Navy. 13:32.400 --> 13:34.760 Our sailors deserve the best leadership 13:34.760 --> 13:36.880 that we can absolutely provide. 13:36.880 --> 13:39.150 As I said yesterday, at this podium, 13:39.150 --> 13:40.640 being a commanding officer brings 13:40.640 --> 13:43.560 with it an extraordinary responsibility. 13:43.560 --> 13:46.083 And that responsibility is absolute. 13:47.030 --> 13:50.160 We place a great deal of trust and confidence 13:50.160 --> 13:53.920 in our commanding officers and rely on them to manage risk, 13:53.920 --> 13:56.100 and make decisions that are fact based, 13:56.100 --> 13:58.460 all the while communicating honestly 13:58.460 --> 13:59.976 with their chain of command. 13:59.976 --> 14:03.240 We trust them to calmly and unemotionally take action 14:03.240 --> 14:07.000 in the face of the most challenging circumstances. 14:07.000 --> 14:08.240 We want our commanding officers 14:08.240 --> 14:10.300 to tell us when things aren't going well, 14:10.300 --> 14:13.220 so we can help address potential problems. 14:13.220 --> 14:17.500 We want them to tell our chain of command what they need. 14:17.500 --> 14:19.445 We want them to tell the truth. 14:19.445 --> 14:23.020 Trust up and down our chain of command is the bond 14:23.020 --> 14:24.591 that keeps us steady. 14:24.591 --> 14:26.747 As military men and women we prepare daily 14:26.747 --> 14:31.710 to deal with adversity, uncertainty and conflict. 14:31.710 --> 14:34.029 Americans depend on us for security. 14:34.029 --> 14:35.668 We'll not let them down. 14:35.668 --> 14:37.036 Thank you. 14:37.036 --> 14:38.590 - (mumbles). 14:38.590 --> 14:40.983 - [Gentleman] Mr. Secretary, if you could explain, 14:40.983 --> 14:43.830 yesterday left with the impression that he appropriately 14:43.830 --> 14:45.610 went to the chain of command but if it was found 14:45.610 --> 14:47.520 that he leaked a letter, that would be a problem. 14:47.520 --> 14:50.150 Do you believe that he leaked the letter 'cause you alluded 14:50.150 --> 14:51.750 to the fact that it was his hometown paper? 14:51.750 --> 14:53.780 And how do you respond to some of the families 14:53.780 --> 14:55.860 and some of the sailors in the ship who say, 14:55.860 --> 14:57.890 he was just speaking truth to power? 14:57.890 --> 15:01.240 - Well, I have no information nor am I trying to suggest 15:01.240 --> 15:04.883 that he leaked the information. 15:05.870 --> 15:09.680 It was published in the San Francisco Chronicle. 15:09.680 --> 15:11.790 But it all came as a big surprise to all of us 15:11.790 --> 15:13.830 that it was in the paper. 15:13.830 --> 15:15.470 That's the first time I'd seen it. 15:15.470 --> 15:18.680 Admiral Gilday is pretty much in the same boat. 15:18.680 --> 15:22.010 He received the email from Admiral Aquilino 15:22.010 --> 15:25.557 and it was already in the CHINFO Clips I think that morning. 15:25.557 --> 15:29.130 So that's the answer to that question. 15:29.130 --> 15:31.120 I'm not making any suggestion about that. 15:31.120 --> 15:33.450 I don't know. I don't think I'll ever know 15:33.450 --> 15:34.660 who leaked the information. 15:34.660 --> 15:37.840 What I will say, he sent it out pretty broadly. 15:37.840 --> 15:39.810 And in sending it out pretty broadly, 15:39.810 --> 15:43.930 he did not take care to ensure that it couldn't be leaked. 15:43.930 --> 15:46.710 And that's part of his responsibility, in my opinion. 15:46.710 --> 15:47.960 And then your second question? 15:47.960 --> 15:49.960 - [Gentleman] The sort of families and sailors thinking he 15:49.960 --> 15:52.590 was just speaking true to power rather 15:52.590 --> 15:53.590 than trying to answer-- 15:53.590 --> 15:56.490 - Well, of course, and I mean, we absolutely I mean, look, 15:56.490 --> 15:59.700 I know that as I mentioned before, 15:59.700 --> 16:02.130 the families of the sailors want the CO to be looking out 16:02.130 --> 16:04.060 for the well being of the sailors. 16:04.060 --> 16:06.250 We have our responsibilities look out for them as well, 16:06.250 --> 16:09.350 but also for to guard our national security mission 16:09.350 --> 16:10.960 and all the other sailors that are out on all the 16:10.960 --> 16:14.470 other ships out there that may be put at risk by the actions 16:14.470 --> 16:17.260 of a particular commanding officer. 16:17.260 --> 16:21.091 So that's the bottom line for me. 16:21.091 --> 16:22.820 - (mumbles). 16:22.820 --> 16:24.420 - Sir, I'm trying to understand. 16:25.760 --> 16:27.810 Did you not receive the letter before 16:27.810 --> 16:29.470 it appeared in the paper? 16:29.470 --> 16:31.410 Did it not go up the chain of command? 16:31.410 --> 16:33.050 'Cause it was our impression that the letter 16:33.050 --> 16:35.370 had been sent up the chain of command. 16:35.370 --> 16:37.550 So that's a bit confusing. 16:37.550 --> 16:41.191 And how does this not have a chilling effect on 16:41.191 --> 16:45.080 other Navy captains and 16:45.080 --> 16:46.290 who are concerned? 16:46.290 --> 16:48.370 I mean, he was concerned about the health 16:48.370 --> 16:50.980 and welfare of those on the ship. 16:50.980 --> 16:53.120 - Yes, and we want all of our captains 16:53.120 --> 16:55.540 to be that way, to be concerned. 16:55.540 --> 16:58.170 I trust that it won't have a chilling effect. 16:58.170 --> 16:59.710 I hope that what this will do, 16:59.710 --> 17:01.160 it was to reinforce the fact 17:01.160 --> 17:04.220 that we have the proper way of handling this. 17:04.220 --> 17:07.180 What he did by doing this and not being careful 17:07.180 --> 17:09.390 with who that information went to, and if you're right, 17:09.390 --> 17:12.200 it did go to his, to the task group commander, 17:12.200 --> 17:15.240 to Admiral Aquilino to the air boss, 17:15.240 --> 17:18.890 but it was copied to 20 or 30 other people, Okay? 17:18.890 --> 17:21.530 That that's just not acceptable. 17:21.530 --> 17:24.770 He did not take care and what that did is it created a panic 17:25.960 --> 17:27.830 a little bit of a panic on the ship, 17:27.830 --> 17:30.030 because the ship was not prepared, 17:30.030 --> 17:32.180 the Chief Petty Officers were not prepared 17:32.180 --> 17:33.750 to answer questions from the crew in terms 17:33.750 --> 17:35.530 of how bad the situation was. 17:35.530 --> 17:37.580 It misrepresented the facts of 17:37.580 --> 17:39.760 what was going on on the ship as well. 17:39.760 --> 17:43.360 And at the same time, the families here in the United States 17:43.360 --> 17:45.100 were panicked about the reality. 17:45.100 --> 17:47.190 The reality of what's happening on the ship right now is we 17:47.190 --> 17:50.490 have about 114 sailors who have tested positive. 17:50.490 --> 17:52.180 I can tell you with great certainty there's gonna 17:52.180 --> 17:54.660 be more, they'll probably be in the hundreds. 17:54.660 --> 17:56.520 Of 114 sailors, 17:56.520 --> 17:58.780 not a single one of them has been hospitalized 17:58.780 --> 18:01.080 or has had the requirement to be hospitalized. 18:02.130 --> 18:05.380 The ones that are sick are exhibiting mild 18:05.380 --> 18:07.030 or moderate flu symptoms. 18:07.030 --> 18:09.160 Some of them are exhibiting no symptoms, 18:09.160 --> 18:11.470 and some of them have already recovered from the virus, 18:11.470 --> 18:12.930 from the effects of the virus. 18:12.930 --> 18:16.570 So, it raised alarm bells unnecessarily, 18:16.570 --> 18:19.130 it also created the impression that the Navy 18:19.130 --> 18:21.470 was not responding to his questions. 18:21.470 --> 18:24.210 And as I mentioned, my chief of staff was in contact 18:24.210 --> 18:27.067 with him a day before he even sent that email saying, 18:27.067 --> 18:29.237 "Hey, can we do... Are we doing everything you need? 18:29.237 --> 18:31.610 "Can we do more? What can we do?" 18:31.610 --> 18:33.080 Things were flowing into Theodore 18:33.080 --> 18:34.170 I mean, just to give you an example, 18:34.170 --> 18:35.030 when the ship got there, 18:35.030 --> 18:38.060 we didn't have any beds to take people off to. 18:38.060 --> 18:40.730 A week later we have almost 3,000 places 18:40.730 --> 18:42.100 for these sailors to go. 18:42.100 --> 18:44.850 That's in a week, and that's not because of this letter, 18:44.850 --> 18:46.090 it's because of stuff that was going 18:46.090 --> 18:48.110 on well before the letter was sent. 18:48.110 --> 18:50.850 And so that's what's frustrating because what it does, 18:50.850 --> 18:55.000 it undermines our efforts and the chain of commands efforts 18:55.000 --> 18:57.480 to address this problem and it creates a panic, 18:57.480 --> 19:00.660 and creates the perception that the Navy is not on the job, 19:00.660 --> 19:04.217 the government's not on the job, and it's just not true. 19:04.217 --> 19:06.162 - (mumbles). 19:06.162 --> 19:08.700 - I'm curious why you took the time 19:08.700 --> 19:11.000 in your opening statement and your prepared remarks 19:11.000 --> 19:13.250 to say that it was published in his hometown paper, 19:13.250 --> 19:15.050 if you're not alleging that he was the one who leaked it. 19:15.050 --> 19:16.320 I just have to ask, 19:16.320 --> 19:19.063 and if it hadn't been reported in the media, 19:19.944 --> 19:22.320 then would none of this have happened? 19:22.320 --> 19:24.930 Your problem is he reported it, 19:24.930 --> 19:27.380 he provided this information to too many people. 19:27.380 --> 19:29.820 And so it got out, if he'd provided it to too many people, 19:29.820 --> 19:31.870 but it hadn't been reported in the media, 19:31.870 --> 19:34.300 would we not be sitting here discussing this right now? 19:34.300 --> 19:36.300 And then finally, did you have any pressure? 19:36.300 --> 19:37.580 I know this was your decision, 19:37.580 --> 19:39.430 and you directed the action, 19:39.430 --> 19:41.450 but did you have any pressure from the White House 19:41.450 --> 19:45.230 or from DoD, from Secretary Esper to do this today? 19:45.230 --> 19:49.160 - Okay, so with respect to the hometown paper, 19:49.160 --> 19:50.300 that's a statement of fact, 19:50.300 --> 19:51.770 I have no information about whether 19:51.770 --> 19:54.150 or not he had anything to do with that. 19:54.150 --> 19:57.520 I do know that he did not safeguard that information. 19:57.520 --> 20:02.220 And to keep it from being leaked anywhere. 20:02.220 --> 20:06.300 That's step one, so I'm not alleging that apologize 20:06.300 --> 20:09.100 if that's what the statement is insinuating. 20:09.100 --> 20:10.310 That's not the case. 20:10.310 --> 20:11.443 Your second question? 20:12.980 --> 20:16.239 - Was there... Had it not been reported in the media, 20:16.239 --> 20:17.400 would we not be sitting here right now? 20:17.400 --> 20:19.780 Is that really what, what happened... 20:19.780 --> 20:21.210 While you're angry that if-- 20:21.210 --> 20:23.290 - No, I think I made that very clear in my statement 20:23.290 --> 20:26.450 that we want that information coming up to us so 20:26.450 --> 20:28.200 that we can take action on it. 20:28.200 --> 20:29.840 That goes up through the chain of command, 20:29.840 --> 20:33.180 through his chain of command so we could take action on it. 20:33.180 --> 20:34.200 No, I would... 20:34.200 --> 20:37.400 My perspective on this, if he'd walked in with that list 20:37.400 --> 20:40.457 of concerns to his immediate supervisor and said, 20:40.457 --> 20:42.350 "Hey, let's work together on this." 20:42.350 --> 20:45.120 And they work together on it and the list didn't change 20:45.120 --> 20:47.920 or that, we would not be here talking about this 20:47.920 --> 20:48.960 and that commanding officer 20:48.960 --> 20:50.757 would probably still be in command right now. 20:50.757 --> 20:52.039 - [Lady In White Top] And then the White House and DoD, 20:52.039 --> 20:52.872 did you really receive-- 20:52.872 --> 20:54.280 - I received absolutely no pressure. 20:54.280 --> 20:56.660 I've had no communication with the White House about this. 20:56.660 --> 20:59.720 I did when I was arriving closer 20:59.720 --> 21:01.550 to this determination yesterday, 21:01.550 --> 21:03.270 I called Secretary Esper and told him 21:03.270 --> 21:05.300 that this is the direction I was headed. 21:05.300 --> 21:07.360 And he told me that he would support my decision, 21:07.360 --> 21:08.670 whatever that might be. 21:08.670 --> 21:10.128 - All right, last question, Ron Brown. 21:10.128 --> 21:12.810 - [Ron] So just to really get this at home, 21:12.810 --> 21:14.810 why is he really being relieved 21:14.810 --> 21:17.190 because he cc'd too many people on this letter? 21:17.190 --> 21:18.850 That's what it kind of makes it seem like now, 21:18.850 --> 21:21.140 is that why he's being relieved? 21:21.140 --> 21:24.240 - Because to me that demonstrated extremely poor judgment in 21:24.240 --> 21:25.930 the middle of a crisis. 21:25.930 --> 21:28.520 Because what it's done, it's created a firestorm. 21:28.520 --> 21:31.830 It's created doubts about the ship's ability to go 21:31.830 --> 21:33.230 to sea if it needs to. 21:33.230 --> 21:35.170 It's created doubt among the families 21:35.170 --> 21:36.930 about the health of their sailors. 21:36.930 --> 21:38.750 And that was a completely unnecessary thing 21:38.750 --> 21:40.490 to do in the midst of a crisis. 21:40.490 --> 21:42.870 So when I have a commanding officer who's responsible 21:42.870 --> 21:44.920 for our nuclear powered aircraft carrier, 21:44.920 --> 21:47.610 with all that lethality and all that responsibility, 21:47.610 --> 21:51.930 who exercises that poor judgment in a situation, 21:51.930 --> 21:53.470 in a crisis like this. 21:53.470 --> 21:56.090 Now granted, they don't train for this, 21:56.090 --> 21:59.420 but we expect more from our COs than what they train for. 21:59.420 --> 22:01.980 We expect them to exercise good judgment 22:01.980 --> 22:04.800 that does not put their crews in jeopardy, 22:04.800 --> 22:06.880 does not jeopardize the national security mission 22:06.880 --> 22:07.890 of the United States. 22:07.890 --> 22:08.723 - [Ron] Could you give us a sense 22:08.723 --> 22:11.880 of where the emails went, did it go to civilians, 22:11.880 --> 22:15.430 family members, the press the numbers and where there-- 22:15.430 --> 22:17.060 - I'm not gonna comment on that. 22:17.060 --> 22:17.893 - Thank you ladies and gentlemen-- 22:17.893 --> 22:18.750 - [Ron] Because you don't know or-- 22:18.750 --> 22:20.091 - Yeah, I know. 22:20.091 --> 22:20.924 - [Ron] Right. 22:20.924 --> 22:21.760 - I know. I'm not gonna comment on that. 22:21.760 --> 22:23.140 - [Ron] Well lastly, just one more. 22:23.140 --> 22:25.450 You said some of the things he said were correct. 22:25.450 --> 22:27.940 But I think you said the language he used 22:27.940 --> 22:29.370 was just not something you would have... 22:29.370 --> 22:30.670 Can you expand on that? 22:30.670 --> 22:32.044 What was in his letter that-- 22:32.044 --> 22:34.170 - Well, I think you raise a particular level 22:34.170 --> 22:36.368 of alarm when you say that 50 people on this 22:36.368 --> 22:39.550 on the crew are gonna die, Okay? 22:39.550 --> 22:41.580 No one knows that to be true. 22:41.580 --> 22:42.870 It does not comport with the data 22:42.870 --> 22:44.800 we have right now on the ship. 22:44.800 --> 22:48.000 And if we take the actions we're gonna take, hopefully not. 22:48.000 --> 22:49.810 I spoke with him yesterday about this. 22:49.810 --> 22:50.677 I said, "How are you feeling? 22:50.677 --> 22:52.800 "Do you feel like you have enough ventilators?" 22:52.800 --> 22:54.040 Clearly if people are gonna die, 22:54.040 --> 22:55.390 that means you need enough ventilators. 22:55.390 --> 22:56.467 He said, "Yes Sir, I feel comfortable. 22:56.467 --> 22:58.467 "We have enough ventilators here. 22:58.467 --> 23:00.910 "How many do you have? Six." 23:00.910 --> 23:03.150 I said that's gonna be enough? 23:03.150 --> 23:06.100 That does not comport with a death statistic 23:06.100 --> 23:07.540 that says 50 people are gonna die. 23:07.540 --> 23:12.540 So there are data that I've gathered in my discussions 23:12.590 --> 23:16.140 with him, with others, as well as the facts 23:16.140 --> 23:17.910 that lead me to believe that we can 23:17.910 --> 23:20.620 have a better CO right now to help deal with this crisis. 23:20.620 --> 23:21.453 - [Ron] So you both mentioned, 23:21.453 --> 23:23.710 you think he was just too emotional over this? 23:23.710 --> 23:25.730 - I don't know what motivated him. 23:25.730 --> 23:28.880 I just know that it exercised extremely poor judgment, 23:28.880 --> 23:31.110 - [Ron] But you also said he did something correct 23:31.110 --> 23:31.950 as well-- 23:31.950 --> 23:33.233 - Tom, thank you very much. - [Ron] What was correct-- 23:33.233 --> 23:34.730 - I can answer this, I'll answer this-- 23:34.730 --> 23:36.157 - [Ron] This is an important issue 23:36.157 --> 23:38.095 by the way (mumbles) important question. 23:38.095 --> 23:40.740 - Yeah. What he did that was correct, 23:40.740 --> 23:43.250 was recognize the situation, 23:43.250 --> 23:45.810 recognize that he needed to communicate 23:46.920 --> 23:50.050 what was going on in the ship, okay? 23:50.050 --> 23:51.410 The manner in which he did it, 23:51.410 --> 23:53.640 the manner in which he chose to do it, 23:53.640 --> 23:55.850 not going directly to his strike crew commander 23:55.850 --> 23:57.200 who's right down the hall from him 23:57.200 --> 23:58.563 and talking it through, 23:59.670 --> 24:02.560 is the reason I have a problem, okay? 24:02.560 --> 24:05.710 - Just to ask you though, every time we hear about the ship, 24:05.710 --> 24:07.590 we hear the same sentiments from Navy leaders 24:07.590 --> 24:09.677 and I believe from OSD leaders and that, that, 24:09.677 --> 24:12.187 "Well, no one has beared all symptoms are mild, 24:12.187 --> 24:13.800 "and if at worst, moderate." 24:13.800 --> 24:16.380 Is it possible, he didn't think that when he was going 24:16.380 --> 24:18.550 to leadership that they were taking that you, 24:18.550 --> 24:20.790 candidly their leaders were taking it seriously enough 24:20.790 --> 24:24.660 that if people didn't stop the spread, 24:24.660 --> 24:27.090 that it could get more serious and people could die? 24:27.090 --> 24:28.511 I mean, that's why he took an action. 24:28.511 --> 24:29.940 - No. Well, I don't know. I don't know why he took that. 24:29.940 --> 24:32.660 Well, I don't know why he took that action, okay? 24:32.660 --> 24:35.240 What I do know is that he was fully aware 24:35.240 --> 24:39.230 that the Seventh Fleet Commander, the Pack Fleet Commander, 24:39.230 --> 24:41.360 we're flowing resources to him. 24:41.360 --> 24:44.720 What he committed to cater to my chief of staff, 24:44.720 --> 24:47.420 was that the only help he could need was to try 24:47.420 --> 24:50.333 and get the stuff there faster, that's it, okay? 24:51.522 --> 24:53.410 That's the extent of it. 24:53.410 --> 24:58.410 To me, that's a phone call to Admiral Aquilino. 24:58.430 --> 25:01.190 It's a walk down the hallway to your commanding officer, 25:01.190 --> 25:04.280 it's not a blast out email 25:04.280 --> 25:08.890 to anybody who he knows about the situation. 25:08.890 --> 25:10.100 - [Lady] Were are you already planning 25:10.100 --> 25:13.480 to take 3,000 sailors off the ship when he sent the letter 25:13.480 --> 25:15.530 or is that only as a result of his-- 25:15.530 --> 25:16.740 - That's how the strategy evolved 25:16.740 --> 25:19.330 once a ship got in place, that's correct. 25:19.330 --> 25:21.870 We determined we were gonna take a very methodical approach 25:21.870 --> 25:24.000 to this, as I mentioned to you before, 25:24.000 --> 25:26.940 the ship requires a certain number of people to man it. 25:26.940 --> 25:28.740 It's got two nuclear power plants on it, 25:28.740 --> 25:31.510 it's got weapons, it's got ammunition, 25:31.510 --> 25:34.040 you have to have a certain number of people on there. 25:34.040 --> 25:37.370 It's about 10% of the ship at any one time, 25:37.370 --> 25:39.590 but you can't have all those 10% of the people on, 25:39.590 --> 25:41.240 you have to have a watch rotation. 25:41.240 --> 25:42.970 So it's about seven to 800 people 25:42.970 --> 25:45.490 to 1,000 people that you need to have ready. 25:45.490 --> 25:47.960 So we took those people off first. 25:47.960 --> 25:49.660 The people that we could fill those bills, 25:49.660 --> 25:50.970 make sure that they're clean, 25:50.970 --> 25:53.950 and we'll slowly start bringing them back on the ship. 25:53.950 --> 25:58.890 In the meantime, we freed up 2,700 or 1,700 additional 25:59.870 --> 26:02.980 hotel rooms in the city in the state of Guam, 26:02.980 --> 26:07.180 to take people off faster. 26:07.180 --> 26:10.630 And this was all in the works when this was going on, 26:10.630 --> 26:12.270 and that's gonna be the last question. 26:12.270 --> 26:13.310 Okay. Thank you 26:13.310 --> 26:14.410 - Thank you (mumbles).