The investigation of the COVID-19 outbreak on USS Theodore Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71) outlined the chain of events that led to more than 1,200 sailors assigned to carrier contracting the virus, the removal of the commanding officer Capt. Brett Crozier and the eventual resignation of former acting Secretary of the Navy Thomas Modly.
The following are key dates in the outbreak derived from the findings of fact from the command investigation issued on June 19, 2020, press reports and public information.
Friday, Nov. 1, 2019
Capt. Crozier takes command of USS Theodore Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71).
Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2019
Chinese officials report a cluster of flu-like illnesses eventually identified as the novel coronavirus in Wuhan, China.
Friday, Jan. 17, 2020
Theodore Roosevelt deploys from San Diego.
Thursday, Jan. 23
The first two COVID-19 cases are confirmed in Vietnam.
Sunday, Feb. 2
The crew of Theodore Roosevelt starts taking precautions against COVID-19 transmission, including messages about handwashing, distribution of hand sanitizer and bleaching surfaces twice daily. The effort is known as ‘bleach-a-palooza.’
Saturday, Feb. 22
A group of U.S. ships participates in Cobra Gold exercises near Thailand. According to the Navy’s investigation, none of the sailors involved in the exercise contracted coronavirus.
Wednesday, Feb. 26
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) tells the Navy that there’s no evidence of a COVID-19 outbreak in Vietnam and describes the port visit as “low risk.”
Thursday, Feb. 27
TR sends an advance detachment to Da Nang to prepare for arrival.
Tuesday, March 3
U.S. Indo-Pacific Command commander Adm. Phil Davidson confirms to press that TR is set to visit Vietnam.
Wednesday, March 4
U.S. Pacific Fleet forwarded a final port visit decision recommendation to INDOPACOM recommending to go forward with the Da Nang port visit based on Pacific final risk analysis.
Commander of U.S. 7th Fleet Vice Adm. Bill Merz signs off on plans for the Theodore Roosevelt to stop in Vietnam the next day.
Thursday, March 5
Theodore Roosevelt arrives at its second port of call, Da Nang, Vietnam.
Saturday, March 7
U.S. Pacific Fleet holds a 400-person reception at the Da Nang Golden Bay Hotel.
Sunday, March 8
A group of 30 reporters are brought by liberty boat aboard Theodore Roosevelt for a tour of the hangar and flight deck.
The U.S. Embassy is alerted that some sailors stayed in the same hotel as two British citizens who tested positive for COVID-19. Theodore Roosevelt announced that people who returned to the ship would not be allowed to disembark again.
The ship sets up a command center and gathers information on which sailors stayed at the Vanda Hotel. They identify 39.
Monday, March 9
The ship leaves Da Nang with 39 sailors in quarantine. The ship’s executive officer starts issuing sanitation guidance to try to control the spread of the disease.
A total of seven flights from Clark Air Force Base in the Philippines ferries 29 passengers to the carrier.
Wednesday, March 11
Personnel from the Biological Defense Research Directorate arrive on board Theodore Roosevelt with specialized equipment for testing respiratory pathogens. Capt. Daniel Keeler takes over as carrier’s executive officer from Capt. Peter Riebe. WHO declares a worldwide pandemic over COVID-19 spread.
Thursday, March 12
The carrier begins social distancing by issuing a guidance memo that requires sailors to stay six feet apart and avoid mass gatherings. Theodore Roosevelt’s captain and executive officer both stated later they thought social distancing was impossible on a ship.
Navy issues guidance on COVID-19 preventive measures and restricted official and personal travel and PCS orders. Service also issued guidance on preventive measures, travel, PCS and liberty restrictions to CDC Level 3 locations, and reporting requirements.
Friday, March 13
The Theodore Roosevelt commanding officer sends a notice to families that COVID-19 testing has been implemented onboard while the Defense Department issues stop-movement order and President Donald Trump declares a national emergency.
Saturday, March 14
The 39 sailors quarantined since Da Nang all test negative for COVID-19 as Navy issues stop-movement order and Guam declares public health emergency.
Sunday, March 15
TR senior medical officer Capt. John York emails crew screening requirements after port visits, explaining self-monitoring, and passing reminders about hand sanitization, hand washing, and cough etiquette. York begins to keep closer contact with U.S. Pacific Fleet surgeon.
Monday, March 23
Theodore Roosevelt starts rerouting COD flights from the Philippines to Kadena Air Force Base on Okinawa and Andersen Air Force Base on Guam as Navy publishes guidance on quarantine and isolation.
Tuesday, March 24
Three sailors told the ship’s medical department they had lost their sense of taste or smell. Early studies found this was a symptom of COVID-19, but since they had no other symptoms, they were sent back to work. Crozier declares “bleach-a-palooza” a twice-daily event.
Three other sailors test positive for COVID-19. None had been in close contact with the 39 sailors quarantined as the ship was leaving Vietnam. USA Today reports the outbreak the same day. Vice Adm. Phil Sawyer tells 7th Fleet, “crew of the TR will not leave pier, with the exception of sailors testing positive for COVID-19, who will be sequestered in base berthing facilities.”
Wednesday, March 25
The first four sailors identified with COVID-19 are taken off the carrier by helicopter. Carrier Strike Group 9 made a plan to isolate sailors in hotel rooms when Theodore Roosevelt arrived in Guam and sent a request for 4,000 hotel rooms to higher headquarters.
Thursday, March 26
The number of sailors tested positive for COVID-19 jumps from eight to 33.
Friday, March 27
When the carrier moors in Guam, confusion about protocols for testing and quarantine come to a head and plans to get sailors into hotels stall. The executive officer later tells investigators requirements “seemed to change daily.”
Saturday, March 28
The number of known COVID-19 cases aboard TR rises to 46.
Sunday, March 29
As the number of cases climbs to 53, ship’s senior medical officer York writes an email stating “we have lost” the battle against COVID-19.
Sunday, March 29
7th Fleet eliminates on a plan to move TR’s sailors to rooms on Okinawa.
Crozier decides to lift a quarantine on sailors in the ship’s aft birthing because it was causing “true human suffering,” according to the executive officer. He began assuming all TR sailors were COVID-19-positive. The investigation found he did not consult officials in Carrier Strike Group 9.
Monday, March 30
The ship stops transferring sailors to Guam because no more single-occupancy rooms are available. 7th Fleet officials told investigators Crozier turned down cots in places like storerooms and warehouses.
Monday, March 30
Leadership on the TR expects a phone call from the chief of naval operations, which the CNO’s personnel say was never scheduled. Crozier sends an email on an unclassified network to 10 recipients asking for “all available resources to find NAVADMIN and CDC-compliant quarantine rooms for my entire crew as soon as possible.” Carrier Strike Group 9 officials later say they weren’t warned he planned to send the email, and 7th Fleet was not copied.
Tuesday, March 31
Five senior medical officers sign a letter recommending all sailors be removed from the ship. If their recommendations aren’t heeded, they threaten to make the letter public. The same day, the ship’s ombudsman sends a letter criticizing “the overwhelming lack of medical treatment or check-in for sailors who have been moved off the ship,” read the summary of fact. A San Francisco Chronicle reporter receives a copy of Crozier’s email and contacts the Office of the Secretary of Defense for comment. The paper publishes an article based on Crozier’s email outlining the situation on TR.
Wednesday, April 1
Fleet Logistics Center Pearl Harbor obtains 4,000 hotel rooms on Guam where sailors can be quarantined.
Thursday, April 2
Acting Navy Secretary Thomas Modly relieves Crozier of command, citing “extremely poor judgment.” Navy launches investigation into the command climate around the outbreak.
Sunday, April 5
Chief Petty Officer Charles Robert Thacker Jr. is treated in the Naval Hospital Guam emergency room for COVID-19, but discharged and sent back into isolation the same day.
Monday, April 6
Acting Secretary of the Navy Thomas Modly flies to Guam and gives a speech telling the TR crew that “what your captain did was very, very wrong.” The speech is recorded and later released to the press. Modly resigns as acting Secretary of the Navy after several lawmakers call for his removal.
Tuesday, April 7
As his speech to the TR crew is reported widely in the media, Modly resigns as acting Secretary of the Navy after several lawmakers call for his removal.
Thursday, April 9
In his isolated room on the Guam Naval Base, Thacker is found unresponsive during one of the twice-daily medical checks.
Monday, April 13
Thacker dies of COVID-19, the first coronavirus-related death of a TR sailor.
Monday, April 29
On the day the results of a preliminary investigation were due to be released, a press conference and congressional notification to brief the findings were canceled. CNO Adm. Mike Gilday would have recommended Crozier to be reinstated to command the carrier. Instead, the Navy announces an expanded investigation into the command climate around the outbreak.
Thursday, June 4
Theodore Roosevelt departs Guam after containing the outbreak. The Navy developed a process of moving sailors back aboard after keeping them in isolation for at least 14 days and requiring each sailor to test negative twice for COVID-19.
Tuesday, June 9
CSG-9 commander Rear Adm. Stuart Baker is relieved by Rear Adm. Doug Verissimo in a planned change of command ceremony. Baker was set to report to INDO-PACOM as the director of operations and had been confirmed by the Senate for a second star.
Friday, June 19
After a second investigation, the Navy decides not to reverse the decision relieving Crozier of command. Gilday recommended Crozier, senior medical officer York and Carrier Air Wing 11 commander Capt. Steve Jaureguizar face further review for administrative action by Pacific Fleet commander Adm. John Aquilino.
Related
FAQs
When did the USS Theodore Roosevelt deploy? ›
The USS Theodore Roosevelt began her maiden deployment in 1988 with the Carrier Air Wing Eight (CVW-8), which lasted through the following year in June 1989. Since then, it has served the United States Navy in a number of operations.
Where is the aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt now? ›The ship arrived to Naval Base North Island with nearly 3,000 Sailors on board. It's now the third aircraft carrier based in San Diego.
Is the USS Roosevelt still in service? ›News Across the U.S.
Brian Schrum, Commanding Officer of USS Theodore Roosevelt, who received command from Capt. Eric Anduze in October 2022. The ship is returning to the U.S. fleet with "necessary capacity and capability for the next two decades," Schrum said.
Welcome. USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) is the fourth Nimitz-class nuclear-powered aircraft carrier and is named in honor the 26th President of the United States.
What was the longest deployment of the USS Roosevelt? ›The carrier's 160-day stretch is the longest any U.S. Navy ship has been at sea without pulling into port, according to Navy officials. "She spent over five months without hitting a port," Adm. Robert J. Natter, commander of the Atlantic Fleet, told defense writers during a breakfast interview in Washington last week.
Was a sailor found dead on Theodore Roosevelt? ›The sailor was found unresponsive on the ship, currently docked at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard. Efforts to revive the sailor were unsuccessful and the sailor was pronounced dead at the scene, according to Lt. Cmdr. Ben Anderson, USS Theodore Roosevelt spokesperson.
What ship almost killed Roosevelt? ›During World War II, the U.S. Navy almost achieved what the Axis powers could only dream of: killing President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Commissioned on July 6, 1943, the USS William D. Porter, better known as the “Willie Dee,” garnered its namesake from a Civil War naval officer of the same name.
How many planes are on the USS Theodore Roosevelt? ›| History | |
|---|---|
| United States | |
| Range | Unlimited distance; 20–25 years |
| Endurance | Limited only by food and supplies |
| Complement | Ship's company: 3,200 Air wing: 2,480 |
USS Gerald R Ford Class (CVN-78)
The world's biggest aircraft carrier title belongs to the US Navy's Gerald R Ford Class battleships.
USS Constitution is the oldest commissioned ship in the United States Navy. Naval officers and crew still serve aboard the ship today. The USS Constitution is operated by the United States Navy, a partner to the National Parks of Boston.
How many USS ships are left? ›
The United States Navy has over 485 ships in both active service and the reserve fleet, with approximately 90 more in either the planning and ordering stages or under construction, according to the Naval Vessel Register and published reports.
Why was the USS United States Cancelled? ›Keel laying; cancellation
Looking to cut the military budget and accepting without question the Air Force argument on nuclear deterrence by means of large, long-range bombers, Secretary of Defense Louis A. Johnson announced the cancellation of United States on 23 April 1949, five days after the ship's keel was laid.
CVN (Carrier, Volplane, Nuclear), a United States Navy hull classification symbol for nuclear aircraft carriers.
Does the USS Roosevelt have WIFI? ›The free Wi-Fi to benefit sailors from the USS Theodore Roosevelt is just one of many initiatives GTA is providing to help others. In March, the company launched its Team Up for Guam philanthropic initiative to help during the pandemic.
Which aircraft carrier is number 69? ›USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) provides a wide range of flexible mission capabilities, to include maritime security operations, expeditionary power projection, forward naval presence, crisis response, sea control, deterrence, counter-terrorism, information operations, security cooperation and counter-proliferation.
What is the longest aircraft carrier in the United States Navy? ›The USS Gerald R. Ford is the Navy's newest – and largest – aircraft carrier, and the first of a new generation of carriers.
What is the longest serving aircraft carrier in the U.S. Navy? ›| History | |
|---|---|
| United States | |
| Laid down | 27 October 1943 |
| Launched | 20 March 1945 |
| Commissioned | 10 September 1945 |
Aircraft Carriers In Top Gun: Maverick. The Top Gun: Maverick movie features the use of two different aircraft carriers, USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71) and USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72).
Was there a failed assassination attempt on Theodore Roosevelt? ›Ultimately, on October 14, 1912, while Roosevelt was campaigning in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Schrank attempted to assassinate him. Roosevelt was at the Gilpatrick Hotel, at a dinner provided by the hotel's owner, a supporter.
Did Roosevelt get paralyzed? ›He was diagnosed with poliomyelitis and underwent years of therapy, including hydrotherapy at Warm Springs, Georgia. Roosevelt remained paralyzed from the waist down and relied on a wheelchair and leg braces for mobility, which he took efforts to conceal in public.
Where is Theodore Roosevelt's grave? ›
San Francisco's captain Commander Kevin Mooney was reassigned to a shore unit in Guam during the investigation of the collision. The Navy concluded that "several critical navigational and voyage planning procedures" were not being implemented aboard San Francisco, despite Mooney's otherwise remarkably good record.
What was a nickname for the 16 U.S. ships that President Roosevelt sent on a world tour in 1907? ›In December 1907, Theodore Roosevelt dispatched sixteen fleets of battleships on a 14-month world tour.
What was the nickname for the USS Roosevelt? ›"Big D" – USS Dallas; given to the boat to denote being named in honor of the city of Dallas. "The Big Stick" – USS Theodore Roosevelt; based on Theodore Roosevelt's quotation, "Speak softly and carry a big stick".
What does CVN mean? ›What is a Credit Card Verification Number and why does DMV want it ? We collect your credit card verification number (CVN) to protect you and us against fradulent charges on your credit card.
What is the largest U.S. aircraft ship? ›The USS Gerald R. Ford – the US Navy's newest supercarrier, and the largest and most technologically advanced aircraft carrier in the world – recently crossed the Atlantic alongside warships from other NATO Allies. Aboard ship, two brothers mark the Ford's first deployment – and one brother's final flight.
What is the biggest plane ever landed on an aircraft carrier? ›The Story of how the C-130 Hercules became the biggest aircraft to land on an aircraft carrier.
What is the strongest U.S. aircraft carrier? ›| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Height | 250 feet (76 m) |
| Draft | 39 ft (12 m) |
| Decks | 25 |
| Installed power | Two Bechtel A1B PWR nuclear reactors, HEU 93.5% |
While the outer hull is 14 to 19 mm thick, the inner hull may be 12 to 14 mm thick.
Has the U.S. ever sold an aircraft carrier? ›The carrier was decommissioned in 2009, after returning from forward-basing in Japan, and has remained in storage at Naval Base Kitsap in Bremerton, Washington. Naval Sea Systems Command sold Kitty Hawk and her sister ship, USS John F. Kennedy, to International Shipbreaking Ltd.
What was the name of the only US Navy ship ever to be captured by an enemy force? ›
Pueblo Incident, capture of the USS “Pueblo,” a Navy intelligence ship, and its 83 crewmen by North Korean patrol boats off the coast of North Korea on January 23, 1968.
Are any ships from WWII still in service? ›SS American Victory, Tampa, Fla.
America has just three fully operational merchant ships remaining from WWII—and this 455-foot Victory-class vessel is one of them.
When the last Iowa-class ship was finally stricken from the Naval Vessel Registry, no battleships remained in service or in reserve with any navy worldwide. A number are preserved as museum ships, either afloat or in drydock.
What was the last ship lost by the US Navy? ›The last US Navy ship lost at sea was USS Guardian. On 17 January 2013, Guardian ran aground on Tubbataha Reef in the Phillipines. Unable to be recovered, the vessel was decommissioned and struck on 15 February 2013.
What is the last U.S. Navy ship to sink? ›The Simpson was the last modern U.S. Navy warship to sink an enemy vessel in action. Of the 272 ships in the fleet now, only one ship can claim a similar honor: the USS Constitution, now a showpiece in Boston harbor, which sank British vessels in the War of 1812.
Is there a USS for every state? ›Except for Kearsarge, named by an act of Congress, all U.S. Navy battleships have been named for states, and each of the 48 contiguous states has had at least one battleship named for it except Montana; two battleships were authorized to be named Montana but both were cancelled before construction started.
Why did they not bring up the USS Arizona? ›Deemed too damaged to be raised from the water and repaired for service, Arizona was left where she sank.
Why can t USS North Carolina be moved? ›North Carolina was moored at Eagle Island, cannot be raised high enough to permit the battleship to leave, functionally locking it into place.
Do they sink retired Navy ships? ›In an exercise known as the "sinkex," old vessels are used as target practice for the US Navy. During this exercise, the ships are taken at least 60 miles away from land, per the US Environmental Protection Agency. Other military ships and helicopters then gun the boats down and sink them.
What does SS stand for on ships? ›SS often stood for "steamship," as steam what made these vessels operate. It was also a clear indicator that a boat differed from the slower performing means of propulsion, such as sailing and rowing power.
What rank is the air boss on an aircraft carrier? ›
2) Nickname for the Vice Admiral serving as Commander, Naval Air Forces who is responsible for the manning, training, and equipping of all aircraft, personnel, and the U.S. Navy's fleet of aircraft carriers.
What does RO mean on an aircraft carrier? ›Roll-on/roll-off - Wikipedia.
Where is the USS Theodore Roosevelt now? ›USS Theodore Roosevelt is in San Diego, CA.
What ship fired on Roosevelt? ›During World War II, the U.S. Navy almost achieved what the Axis powers could only dream of: killing President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Commissioned on July 6, 1943, the USS William D. Porter, better known as the “Willie Dee,” garnered its namesake from a Civil War naval officer of the same name.
Where is Captain Crozier now? ›One Roosevelt sailor, Chief Petty Officer Thomas Thacker, died of the virus. He was the first of 92 service members — 17 of them sailors — to die from the virus throughout the pandemic. Crozier is currently assigned to Strike Fighter Squadron 154 in Lemoore, California.
What is the most famous aircraft carrier of all time? ›Enterprise earned 20 battle stars, the most for any U.S. warship in World War II, and was the most decorated U.S. ship of World War II. She was also the first American ship to sink a full-sized enemy warship after the Pacific War had been declared when her aircraft sank the Japanese submarine I-70 on 10 December 1941.
What is the most famous aircraft carrier in the world? ›1. USS Gerald R Ford Class (CVN-78)
What aircraft carrier is number 1? ›The Langley was designated CV-1: aircraft carrier No. 1. While the Langley was being converted at the Norfolk Navy Yard, Lieutenant Commander Godfrey de Courcelles Chevalier led a team of Navy pilots in flight training to operate from the Langley.
Where did the USS Theodore Roosevelt dock? ›The Nimitz-class nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) departed Bremerton, Washington, March 17, after completing an 18-month docking planned incremental availability (DPIA) at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard & Intermediate Maintenance Facility.
Is cvn 71 on deployment? ›From Commander, U.S. Third Fleet Public Affairs
SAN DIEGO - The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) returned to San Diego, May 25, marking the completion of its deployment to the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command area of responsibility.
Was the USS Roosevelt in Vietnam? ›
The FDR was assigned to the Atlantic Fleet for her entire career, and deployed frequently to operations in the Atlantic as well as the Mediterranean and Caribbean Seas. Only one deployment was made to Vietnam, August 1966 to January 1967.
What planes are on the USS Theodore Roosevelt? ›F-14 Tomcat, A-6 Intruder, F/A-18 Hornet, E-2 Hawkeye and S-3 Viking aircraft overfly the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71) during her commissioning ceremony at Newport News, Va., October 25, 1986. US Navy photo by PHC Scallan (DVIC id: DNSC8801425).
What is the biggest aircraft carrier is it still in service? ›VIRGINIA, USA — The USS Gerald Ford is not only the Navy's newest aircraft carrier, it's also the world's biggest. The $13 billion ship is almost four football fields long, has more than 20 decks and, as one sailor from San Diego told CBS 8, it's like a floating city.
What carrier will cvn 79 replace? ›| Ship | Hull no. | Scheduled to replace |
|---|---|---|
| Gerald R. Ford | CVN-78 | ex-Enterprise (CVN-65) |
| John F. Kennedy | CVN-79 | Nimitz (CVN-68) |
| Enterprise | CVN-80 | Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69) |
| Doris Miller | CVN-81 | Carl Vinson (CVN-70) |
CVN (Carrier, Volplane, Nuclear), a United States Navy hull classification symbol for nuclear aircraft carriers.
Do Navy sailors get laid? ›Yes, *sailors* aboard ships are allowed to date each other, with the following restrictions: They cannot be officer and enlisted - that's a big part of the fraternization policy that has been mentioned in other answers.
What happened on the Theodore Roosevelt ship? ›The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the cause of the COVID-19 pandemic, was detected on the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt in March 2020 while she was at sea. Affected crew members were evacuated and the ship was ordered to Guam.
Did the U.S. lose any ships in Vietnam? ›The Vietcong guerrillas blew a hole into the 9,800‐ton U.S.S. Card below the waterline. The ship had arrived here with a cargo of helicopters and fighter bombers. It was the first time a major United States vessel had been sunk in the battle against the Vietcong.