Brett Crozier: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know

Captain Brett Crozier is the former U.S. Navy commander of the USS Theodore Roosevelt who was fired over a letter asking for help with a coronavirus outbreak on his ship. He has now tested positive for COVID-19 himself, The New York Times reports. Crozier’s ouster has been defended by President Trump and military leaders within his administration, but Crozier has been hailed as a hero by others. As he left the aircraft carrier following his removal, hundreds of his sailors chanted his name and applauded before a final salute.

Crozier is a 50-year-old California native who started his career as a naval aviator rose through the ranks, serving in several roles, including as an aviation detailer, instructor and executive officer and had been in command of the USS Theodore Roosevelt since November 2019. He previously served as the commander of the USS Blue Ridge.

According to The Times, Crozier began showing symptoms before leaving the aircraft carrier on Thursday, April 2, and learned days later that he had tested positive for the COVID-19 coronavirus. Crozier was fired after a letter about his coronavirus-stricken ship to Navy leaders was leaked to the San Francisco Chronicle on March 31. In the letter, Crozier said he needed help after failures in leadership above him in providing resources to move sailors off his ship and to stop the spread of the virus.

Acting Secretary of the Navy Thomas Modly said Crozier was removed from his command because Modly lost confidence in his ability to lead. Modly criticized Crozier’s decision to send an unclassified letter to 20 to 30 people, but did not accuse him of leaking it himself. Modly also said during a press conference that Crozier caused unnecessary alarm and put the ship at risk. President Trump supported Modly’s decision, saying at a briefing, “He shouldn’t be talking that way in a letter. I thought it was terrible what he did.”

Crozier has been reassigned to the headquarters of the Naval Air Forces Pacific command in San Diego, according to The Times. Crozier is being quarantined at Naval Base Guam and will then report to his new assignment, the newspaper reports. The USS Theodore Roosevelt, which holds about 5,000 sailors, arrived in Guam on March 27. Secretary of Defense Mark Esper said there have been 155 confirmed cases of COVID-19 aboard the ship, as of April 4, and none of those sailors have been hospitalized. About 1,000 sailors who have tested negative have been taken off the ship to be quarantined in hotels in Guam, Navy officials said.

Here’s what you need to know about Captain Brett Crozier:

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1. Captain Brett Crozier Is a Native of Santa Rosa, California, & Graduated From the U.S. Naval Academy in 1992, Before Becoming an SH-60B Seahawk Pilot After Being Inspired by ‘Top Gun’

Brett Crozier was born and raised in Santa Rosa, California, and is the son of Robert Crozier and Virginia Crozier. He has two sisters. After graduating from Santa Rosa High School in 1988, Crozier attended the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland.

According to a May 1988 article in the Santa Rosa Press-Democrat, Crozier was nominated by then U.S. Rep. Doug Bosco, a Democrat from Occidental, California. California Assemblywoman Bev Hansen, a Republican from Santa Rosa, announced that Crozier would be attending Annapolis and said he would be studying aeronautics. She said he was working for her at the time on community service, including voter registration, and she appointed him as an associate member of the California Republican Party, according to the article.

Crozier graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1992. In a November 2019 article in the Santa Rosa Press-Democrat, his mother, Gina Crozier, told the newspaper her son was inspired by the 1986 movie “Top Gun.”

Gina Crozier told the newspaper her son was 16 when he went to see the Tom Cruise movie in a theater. “I swear, that’s what inspired him,” she told the Press-Democrat. According to the newspaper, Crozier just missed out on meeting Cruise. The actor was aboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt in February 2019, filming scenes for the upcoming sequel “Top Gun: Maverick.”

In a Navy video talking about his path to becoming commander of the Theodore Roosevelt, Crozier said, “My dad taught me when I was a kid, if you borrow somebody’s truck, you’ve got to fill up the gas tank and clean it and bring it back in better shape.” He said of the ship that he wanted to leave it in better condition. “We know we can be more operationally ready for future deployments, but that’s not an easy task. … I’m struck by how professional everybody is, how welcoming and friendly the sailors are, how clean the ship is.”

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2. Crozier Later Flew the F/A-18 Hornet During ‘Operation Iraqi Freedom’ & Studied at the Naval War College

Captain Brett Elliott Crozier was designated as a naval aviator in 1994 after graduating from the Naval Academy, according to his bio on the U.S. Navy website. After completing flight training, Crozier was stationed in Hawaii and flew SH-60B Seahawk helicopters, the Navy says.

Crozier deployed on the USS Crommelin and USS Fletcher in support of operations in the Pacific Ocean and Operation Southern Watch during his time as an SH-60B Seahawk pilot. “Captain Crozier then reported to Navy Personnel Command in 1999 as an aviation detailer and retention program manager,” the Navy says.

Crozier then transitioned to flying the F/A-18 Hornet and was assigned to the California-based “Warhawks” in 2002. Crozier deployed with the USS Nimitz in 2002 as part of “Operation Iraqi Freedom” in 2003, according to the Navy. He later served as department head and deployed with the “Might Shrikes” on the Nimitz in 2005, again in support of “Operation Iraqi Freedom.”

Crozier next served in 2006 as an instructor and operations officer with the “Rough Raiders” before reporting to the Naval War College in 2007, where he completed his master’s degree in national security and strategic studies. Crozier served as commanding officer of VFA-94 in Lemoore, California, in 2010, and served at the Naval Striking and Support Forces NATO in Naples, Italy, as the lead planner for Joint Task Force Odyssey Dawn and Combined Joint Task Force Deputy Director of Targeting for NATO’s Operation Unified Protector.

After finishing the Naval Nuclear training program in April 2014, Crozier served as the executive officer of the USS Ronald Reagan until July 2016. The Navy says, “During this tour the Reagan took part in RIMPAC 2014, two maintenance availabilities, the forward deployment to Yokosuka, Japan to relieve the USS George Washington (CVN 73) as the Nation’s only forward deployed aircraft carrier, and several FDNF deployments in the PACOM AOR.”

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3. Captain Crozier Served as the Commander of the USS Blue Ridge From 2017 Until 2018 Before Becoming Commander of the USS Theodore Roosevelt in November 2019 Ahead of a January 2020 Deployment

Captain Brett Crozier served as the commanding officer of the USS Blue Ridge from June 2017 to November 2018, according to the Navy website. During the change-of-command ceremony, Crozier said, “For the last year and a half, I have had one of the best jobs in the Navy, in one of the best locations in the world, with my family alongside me. I couldn’t have asked for anything else… (this) will certainly be one of the highlights of my career.”

Crozier led the Blue Ridge, based in Japan, through a 28-month selected restricted availability, that included restoration and upgrades and the successful return to sea, according to the Navy. Upon leaving that role, Crozier thanked his sailors, saying, “You made my job easy and our goal of getting this ship to sea a reality. Despite the fact that 50 percent of the crew had never been to sea before, and 80 percent of us had never been to sea on Blue Ridge, you trained hard, worked long hours, and achieved what many thought was impossible.”

After leaving the Blue Ridge, Crozier was then stationed at the Naval Air Forces Pacific in North Island, California, until November 2019, when he took command of the USS Theodore Roosevelt. During the ceremony in which he took command, Crozier said:

Men and women of Theodore Roosevelt, you have dedicated yourselves to an incredibly noble cause, choosing not what is easy, but what is right and just in the service of our great nation; to be ready for combat and always guarantee our peace. You are doing it on the greatest warship in the world, and I am proud to be serving alongside you as we sail wherever our nation requires in the coming years.

Crozier and the Theodore Roosevelt deployed from Naval Air Base Coronado in January 2020 for a 7-month tour, according to KGTV. “We comprise the most mobile, most capable, and most lethal fighting force on the entire planet,” he told his sailors before they left California, according to the news station. Crozier added, “We will enhance the security and stability of the entire region, which will benefit our entire country.”

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4. Brett Crozier Is Married & His Wife Is Involved in Helping Other Military Spouses, While 1 of His 3 Sons Is Also Serving in the Navy

Brett Crozier is married and has three sons. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, one of Crozier’s sons is also serving in the U.S. Navy. Crozier’s wife, Mary Crozier, grew up in a Navy family and traveled around the world while her father went from base to base. Mary Crozier has devoted much of her life to helping other military spouses, according to her Linkedin profile.

Mary Crozier wrote on Linkedin, “In addition to my work, I give back to my military family by helping Milspouses and Non-profits create brands that can go with them anywhere. I select one to mentor each quarter. I’m also active in The Paradigm Switch where I share my experiences learning tech, especially Salesforce, with other military spouses. I’ve also founded the groups: Vetforce Milspouses & Vetforce San Diego.”

Crozier’s wife, mother and other family members posted photos of Captain Crozier on their Facebook profiles featuring the phrase “I Stand With Capt. Crozier” after he was removed from his command, and his wife posted a photo of the USS Theodore Roosevelt with “We Are #TRStrong” written above it.

Crozier’s family members have received dozens of messages of support from friends and others from the Navy community on social media. One friend wrote, ” We are all standing with Brett and you during these rough times. Brett is a true Moral Leader and we are proud to have served with him. All of our prayers are heading your way.”

Another said, “All my love and support to you, Brett and the boys. Our world is a better place because of your mutual sacrifices.” A friend wrote in a message to Gina Crozier, “You and Bob deserve to be so proud of raising such a moral, upright, courageous man. He’s a credit to you both, and our country and his crew are lucky to have him as a true hero and leader.”

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5. A Petition Has Been Started to Reinstate Brett Crozier & #CrozierIsaHero Trended on Twitter

A petition calling for Brett Crozier’s reinstatement has received more than 240,000 signatures in the three days that have passed since it was started. Trevor Anthony, who created the petition, wrote, “Captain Crozier was unjustly relieved of duty of the air craft carrier CVN-71 USS Theodoore Roosevelt on April 2nd 2020. His crime was asking for help regarding the safety of his crew when a covid-19 outbreak. His actions possibly saved many lives. Although he was fired, his plan to safely remove crew members was still implemented. He is a hero who should be rewarded.”

After Crozier was fired, #CrozierIsaHero trended on Twitter.

Doug Bosco, who nominated Crozier, told the San Francisco Chronicle after Crozier’s firing, “If you want a jury to tell you whether what he did was right — I’d take those cheering sailors as my jury,” referencing the sailors who chanted Crozier’s name as he left the USS Theodore Roosevelt in Guam. “We all want to protect our children and our families and friends during this pandemic. That’s why so many people are supporting Captain Crozier. He’s the embodiment of what we’re all supposed to be doing right now. Why should he be punished for something that we are all told to do?”

Bosco added, “I don’t view this as the end of his career. I think he will be viewed as a hero by the American people. And heroes tend to surface again.”

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