US Navy shares images of crew members deep cleaning the USS Theodore Roosevelt after one officer, 41, died of coronavirus and 655 sailors tested positive following the firing of the ship's captain (15 Pics)

Sailors on the coronavirus-stricken USS Theodore Roosevelt have stepped up cleaning measures after one officer died of the disease and the former captain was sacked over criticizing the Navy's outbreak response.   
Following the controversial handling of coronavirus cases on the USS Theodore Roosevelt, the Navy revealed in a statement that it had doubled down on sanitation. 
Photos showed sailors in protective gear including gloves, face masks and gowns, disinfecting the ship.  
The US Navy revealed that sailors aboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt have begun deep cleaning the ship amid coronavirus cases
The US Navy revealed that sailors aboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt have begun deep cleaning the ship amid coronavirus cases
Navy officials claim that more than 80 percent of the ship has been sanitized recently
Navy officials claim that more than 80 percent of the ship has been sanitized recently 
Cmdr. Chad Hollinger, the ship's weapon's officer, is charged with leading the cleaning crew. Sailors have begun to call him 'Mr. Clean.'
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'The team's mission is to fully sanitize the ship. To complete the mission we are going to clean this ship from top-to-bottom and forward-to-aft to create a clean zone for everyone coming back to the ship, so we can get back to business,' he said.  
'We are focused on taking care of the Sailor's health and ensuring the ship's crew is following all centers for disease control and prevention guidelines to include personal protective equipment (PPE).' 
As of Thursday, 655 sailors tested positive for COVID-19 out of the nearly 4,800 typically aboard the ship. 
The US Navy said cleaning the USS Theodore Roosevelt is an 'all hands effort' that includes a roving cleaning team and what sailors refer to as 'bleach-a-palooza.'
Bleach-a-palooza takes place at the beginning and end of each day, according to one sailor responsible for distributing cleaning solution. 
'I have been here since day one of bleach-a-palooza,' they said. 
'Supply and medical work hand-in-hand to monitor every department on the ship to make sure they're cleaning twice a day. If they want to clean after hours we support that as well.'
The USS Theodore Roosevelt was the center of a COVID-19 outbreak in March after crew members tested positive for the disease
The USS Theodore Roosevelt was the center of a COVID-19 outbreak in March after crew members tested positive for the disease 
Sailors who clean are required to wear googles, gloves, face masks and coveralls. 
Hollinger said sailors have benefited most from large area sprayers that can cover a wide space in less time.   
He also claimed that sailors have cleaned more than 2,000 spaces and 80 percent of the ship.  
On Monday, Chief Petty Officer Charles Robert Thacker Jr., 41, of Fort Smith, Arkansas, died of COVID-19 at US Naval Hospital in Guam. 
Symantha Thacker, an active-duty service member stationed in San Diego, flew to Guam to be by her husband's side, the Navy said. 
A photo provided by the US Navy shows Chief Petty Officer Charles Robert Thacker Jr., 41, of Fort Smith, Arkansas, assigned to the USS Theodore Roosevelt, who died from the coronavirus on Monday at US Naval Hospital Guam
A photo provided by the US Navy shows Chief Petty Officer Charles Robert Thacker Jr., 41, of Fort Smith, Arkansas, assigned to the USS Theodore Roosevelt, who died from the coronavirus on Monday at US Naval Hospital Guam
Symantha Thacker, an active-duty service member stationed in San Diego, flew to Guam to be by her husband's side, the Navy said
Symantha Thacker, an active-duty service member stationed in San Diego, flew to Guam to be by her husband's side, the Navy said
He was the first active-duty military member to die of COVID-19. 
He died 11 days after his captain, Brett Crozier, was fired for pressing the Navy to take greater action to safeguard his crew from the virus. 
Thacker had tested positive for the coronavirus on March 30 and was taken off the ship and placed in 'isolation housing' along with four other sailors at the Guam Navy hospital. 
He tested positive the same day that a letter written by the ship's captain begging the Navy high command to evacuate the virus-stricken vessel leaked to the press. 
On April 9, Thacker was found unresponsive during a medical check and was moved to the Navy Hospital's intensive care unit. 
At least two sailors are currently in the ICU and three others in the general ward at Naval Hospital Guam. 
Inklings of trouble aboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt struck in late March after Crozier sent a memo to Navy officials over coronavirus concerns.
He accused the Navy of failing to adequately respond to the COVID-19 outbreak on his ship and that doing so risked the lives of his crew. 
'Keeping over 4000 young men and women aboard the TR is an unnecessary risk and breaks faith with those Sailors entrusted to our care,' he wrote. 
Former USS Theodore Roosevelt Cpt. Brian Crozier (pictured) wrote a memo and pleaded for additional assistance with the COVID-19 outbreak on his ship
Former USS Theodore Roosevelt Cpt. Brian Crozier (pictured) wrote a memo and pleaded for additional assistance with the COVID-19 outbreak on his ship 
He urged officials to allow the bulk of crew members to evacuate that ship, which was stationed off the coast of Guam, over fears that infections could spike if not mediated. 
'We are not at war. Sailors do not need to die,' he wrote. 'If we do not act now, we are failing to properly take care of our most trusted asset, our sailor.'  
It would later be discovered that Crozier contracted COVID-19 while he captained the USS Theodore Roosevelt.   
Crozier also claimed that he should have done more when the ship reached Guam to ensure that the sailors were able to leave the ship at a faster rate. 
At the time, the disembarkation had been slow and the vast majority of the crew remained on board despite the increasing number of cases as officials searched for hotel space where the sailors could quarantine.  
Crozier's calls for help were initially dismissed by Pentagon officials, including US Defense Secretary Mark Esper. 
Esper said in an interview with CBS that he did not think the USS Theodore Roosevelt needed to evacuated at that time. 
He also admitted that he did not read Crozier's letter beforehand. 
'Well, I have not had a chance to read that letter, read in detail,' he said.
'I'm going to rely on the Navy chain of command to go out there to assess the situation and to make sure they provide the captain and the crew all the support they need to get the sailors healthy and get the ship back at sea.'
Esper did not respond to Crozier's proposal directly during the CBS News interview, but said the military is sending supplies and additional medical support to the carrier 'as they need it'. 
The DoD secretary's comment's were backed by Pacific Fleet Commander Adam John Aquilino, who on Tuesday said he is working as fast as he can to get a plan in place to rotate sailors off the ship. 
Of Crozier's request, Aquilino said: 'We've been working it in advance, we continue to work it, and I'm optimistic that the additional quarantine and isolation capacity being discussed will be delivered shortly.
'But there has never been an intent to take all the sailors off of that ship. If that ship needed to respond to a crisis today, it would respond.'
Officials later reversed course and evacuated the ship. Then, they fired Crozier from his position despite outcries from his crew. 
Former Navy Secretary Thomas Modly said Crozier was dismissed because he put his crew members at risk for COVID-19 and for allegedly sending the memo to 30 people.  
It was later revealed by The Washington Post that the memo was only shared with 10 people - not the 30 people Esper initially claimed. 
Modly said: 'It [sending the letter] raised concerns about the operational capabilities of that ship... that could have emboldened our adversaries to seek advantage.
Former Navy Secretary Thomas Modly (pictured), who was later fired from his position, said Crozier was dismissed from his post because of poor management
Former Navy Secretary Thomas Modly (pictured), who was later fired from his position, said Crozier was dismissed from his post because of poor management 
'For these reasons I lost confidence in his ability to lead that warship.
'We should expect more from commanding officer of our aircraft carriers.
'Captain Crozier allowed the complexity of the COVID outbreak on ship to overwhelm his professionalism.
'Relieving him of command was in the best interest of the US Navy and the nation.'
Since the incident began, Modly was removed from his position.  
President Donald Trump publicly agreed with officials over Crozier's dismissal. 
President Donald (pictured) agreed with the firing of Crozier and criticized him for his memo
President Donald (pictured) agreed with the firing of Crozier and criticized him for his memo
'He wrote a letter. A five-page letter from a captain. And the letter was all over the place. That's not appropriate, I don't think that's appropriate,' Trump said.  
Crozier's removal sparked swift backlash from crew members who believed he should have been promoted for his outbreak response. 
Morale quickly fell among crew members and they clashed with Modly, who visited the USS Theodore Roosevelt and ridiculed Crozier.  
He later apologized for calling Crozier 'naive' and 'stupid' in his speech to crew members.  
7th Fleet Vice Admiral Bill Merz said of the low morale: 'There was lots of anxiety about the virus,' Merz told CNN. 'As you can imagine the morale covers the spectrum, considering what they have been through.'  
'[The crew is'] struggling in the wake of losing their CO and their perception of the lack of activity regarding fighting the virus,.'
Many were still reeling after Modly's visit, in which he slammed the crew's beloved captain as either 'naïve' or 'stupid' because his plea to Navy bosses went public.
'They were visibly still upset about the secretary's visit so I walked them through what I knew, which really was not much more than what everybody else knew,' Merz said.
'I think they just needed to tell somebody about how much that hurt them and disappointed them.'
Sailors gave Crozier an exuberant send off when he officially left his post in early April.  
Recently, Esper said Crozier could potentially be reinstated. A decision on that has not publicly been disclosed. 
US Navy shares images of crew members deep cleaning the USS Theodore Roosevelt after one officer, 41, died of coronavirus and 655 sailors tested positive following the firing of the ship's captain (15 Pics) US Navy shares images of crew members deep cleaning the USS Theodore Roosevelt after one officer, 41, died of coronavirus and 655 sailors tested positive following the firing of the ship's captain (15 Pics) Reviewed by CUZZ BLUE on April 18, 2020 Rating: 5

1 comment:

  1. 655. One dead? There should be 12 dead.//Somebody's a big fat liar.

    ReplyDelete

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