Brett Crozier

Crozier was captain of Theodore Roosevelt, then deployed in the Pacific, on March 24, 2020, when three members of the crew tested positive for COVID-19. The next day, eight sailors were infected, and within a few days it was "dozens." The sailors became ill after more than two weeks at sea. The initial cases were airlifted to a military hospital. Theodore Roosevelt was ordered to Guam, where she docked on March 27, and all 4,865 aboard were ordered to be tested for the virus. About 100 affected sailors were offloaded, and the rest of the crew remained on board. Crozier wanted to have most of the crew immediately taken ashore, saying it was impossible to prevent the spread of the virus in the close quarters of the ship. However, his superior, Rear Admiral Stuart P. Baker, believed that to be impractical and too drastic.

From April 2014 until July 2016, Crozier completed the naval nuclear power training program and served as the executive officer of USS Ronald Reagan. During this tour, Ronald Reagan took part in RIMPAC 2014, two maintenance availabilities, a forward deployment to Yokosuka, Japan, to relieve USS George Washington as the U.S. Navy's only forward-deployed aircraft carrier, and several Forward Deployed Naval Force deployments in the United States Indo-Pacific Command area of responsibility. From June 2017 to November 2018, he commanded the amphibious command ship USS Blue Ridge while the ship completed an extensive dry-dock refit and then returned to operations at sea. He was assigned command of the nuclear aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt on November 1, 2019. After being relieved of duty Crozier was reassigned to a shore position in San Diego.

Crozier later served as the executive officer, then commanding officer (CO) of VFA-94, based at Naval Station Lemoore in California. As squadron CO, he made multiple deployments for U.S. Third, Fifth, and Seventh Fleet operations, numerous exercises and Operations Southern Watch and OIF. He led his squadron on expeditionary deployments with Marine Aircraft Group 12 based out of Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan, to support Pacific operations and the Global War on Terror. His squadron CO tour ended in August 2010.

In 2004, Crozier reported to Strike Fighter Squadron 94 (VFA-94), another F/A-18 Hornet unit known as the Mighty Shrikes, as a department head, and was again deployed with Nimitz in 2005. In 2006, Crozier was assigned to VFA-125, the "Rough Raiders," and served as an instructor and Fleet Replacement Squadron Operations Officer. The following year, he reported in 2007 to the Naval War College, where he earned a master's degree in National Security and Strategic Studies.

In 1999, Crozier served in Navy Personnel Command as an aviation detailer and retention program manager. He then shifted to flying the FA-18 Hornet. In 2002, he reported to Strike Fighter Squadron 97 (VFA-97), the "Warhawks"; the following year, the squadron deployed with USS Nimitz in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF).

Crozier was designated a naval aviator in 1994, and was assigned as a Sikorsky SH-60 Seahawk pilot to HSL-37 at Barbers Point, Hawaii. He deployed on board USS Crommelin and USS Fletcher for operations in the Pacific Ocean and Operation Southern Watch in the Persian Gulf.

Brett Elliott Crozier grew up in Santa Rosa, California. He graduated from Santa Rosa High School in 1988 and then entered the United States Naval Academy. He graduated from the Academy in 1992. He received his master's degree in National Security and Strategic Studies from the Naval War College in 2007, and completed Nuclear Power School in 2014.

Brett Elliott Crozier (born February 24, 1970) is a captain in the United States Navy. A United States Naval Academy graduate, he became a naval aviator, first flying helicopters and then switching to fighters. After completing the naval nuclear training program he served as an officer on multiple aircraft carriers. In spring 2020 he was commanding officer of the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt when the coronavirus disease broke out among the crew. He was relieved of command by then-acting Secretary of the Navy Thomas Modly after sending a letter to Navy leaders asking that most of the crew be taken ashore which was subsequently leaked to the press. Crozier himself was later diagnosed with the disease.