Sailors on the USS Theodore Roosevelt cheered for their departing captain Thursday night as he was removed from duty.
Videos captured on social media and sites like Stars and Stripes show sailors shouting “Captain Crozier” for Capt. Brett Crozier as he left the ship.
Crozier was removed from duty after a letter he wrote pleading for help for those onboard his ship who are infected with the coronavirus leaked to the media.
The Navy announced his removal on Thursday. According to acting Navy Secretary Thomas Modly, whether Crozier intentionally leaked the letter or not, he “did not take care” to ensure it was not leaked.
As of Thursday, 114 sailors on board the Roosevelt had tested positive for COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus.
Crozier’s letter to Navy officials, which leaked on Tuesday, warned that the tight quarters onboard the ship did not allow for the safety of the crew. He asked leadership to offload most of the sailors on the ship in order to allow for social distancing and sanitizing the ship.
The ship is currently docked in Guam and the crew of nearly 5,000 is being tested for the virus.
Naval operations will conduct an investigation into Crozier’s actions.
More than 60,000 people have signed a Change.org petition calling for Crozier’s reinstatement.