After reading Doyle's review and commentary on the manner I have pretty strong suspicions that it went down like this:
Crozier was presented with a situation that without question threatened his ship.
Crozier would certainly have discussed it in person with the admiral on board because you do not make it past O-3 if you blindside your superiors.
The normal operational and readiness reports typically sent over secret level encrypted media would have contained his concerns.
Crozier would have discussed that with the admiral, and requested clarification.
It seems very obvious that Modly made a political decision that Trump may be embarrassed by the open knowledge that all of that military hardware was incapacitated by a virus Trump was down playing.
That decision cascaded into inaction when the disease refused to be cowed by Modly.
Crozier took the only route available to him knowing full well that it would cost him his command and his career.
Modly took personal offense at Crozier taking action, and put on his stupid hat and flew to Guam for a little personal retribution.
My view of this is that Crozier got backed into a corner. If he failed to act to correct Modly's bad decision his command and career was doomed anyway. Modly failed to grasp that his position as SecNav is not to be a functional part of CoC, but rather a safeguard against military ambition against the country. Because of that he inserted himself and the office of SecNav politically into something that was far beyond his comprehension. Like I said earlier, I have seen one O-5 and one O-6 removed for cause and it did not take SecNav to do it, nor did it require SecNav approval. If Crozier needed removal the admiral on board was fully capable of doing so and assuming command of the ship himself, He knew this and certainly had to make a decision to pass on removing Crozier. This was if anything, an example of that civilian safeguard position of SecNav inserting itself into the almost exclusive province of military CoC.
That Crozier failed to manage the politics of the situation well is perhaps reason enough for him to be passed over in a couple years when it's his turn for consideration to flag rank. Not though for removal from command. What Modly did cannot be undone that I can see. Nor can I see much way for Crozier to ever return to any command. THAT is the tragedy of this. You do not get to be command on a carrier and not be a very valuable commodity for the navy, and that is something that Modly should have thought long and hard about before he took action.
This is very good look at how this could have gone down. It sounds like you have some experience at that command level. Thanks.
