Command Investigation Concerning Chain Of Command Actions With Regard To COVID-19 Onboard USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71): Big Sick on the Big Stick: Volume 1

Report from the Chief of Naval Operations reporting on his review of the actions of Captain Brett Crozier when the US Navy aircraft carrier THEODORE ROOSEVELT (CVN-71) was affected by the coronavirus COVID-19 in summer 2020.

In a nutshell, a severe infection began to spread among the crew, and Captain Crozier sent an e-mail above his chain of command asking for addiitonal resources. The email leaked and Crozier was fired; he left the ship supported by a cheering crew (see front cover). This report is the CNO’s followup investigation. It includes about twenty full color images and maps with detailed reports, analyses, and recommendations.

The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requires that each federal agency maintain an electronic Reading Room with most frequently requested documents. The Department of the Navy site includes approximately 20 documents relating to the COVID-19 incident aboard THEODORE ROOSEVELT, collected here as individual volumes in a series colloquially known as Big Sick on the Big Stick. This is the first volume.

This publication will be gripping reading for any reader interested in the modern US Navy, the progression of COVID-19, leadership, and US politics.

Viewers who enjoy programming like TOP GUN, NCIS and CONTAGION will find this a fascinating deep dive into what it’s like when bad stuff really happens.