- The acting Navy secretary's impassioned 15-minute speech to the sailors aboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt was met with dismay and anger.
- In an audio recording obtained by Insider, some of the service members were not receptive to his message.
- "Yeah, that was uh... It's almost like we got an ass chewing, almost," another person said. "And he kind of called us pussies."
- "He was like, 'b---- I said, what I said,'" a different person said.
- In a separate recording obtained by Task & Purpose, one person proclaimed during Modly's speech, "What the f---?"
- Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.
The acting Navy secretary's impassioned 15-minute speech to the sailors aboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt was met with anger from some people who supported its former commander, Capt. Brett Crozier, who was removed from command amid a coronavirus outbreak.
Acting Navy Secretary Thomas Modly, who visited the ship in Guam on Monday, used the carrier's announcement system to address the roughly 5,000 people in the ship's crew, squadrons and staffs. Modly fired Crozier on Thursday, after the captain emailed an urgent plea to over 20 colleagues outlining the ongoing coronavirus outbreak aboard his ship.
In his four-page letter, Crozier asked for a "political solution" and "immediate and decisive action" as his crew dealt with the coronavirus outbreak.
According to Modly, Crozier violated military protocols, circumventing the chain of command by sending the letter to a group of people. Modly said that while he did not how the letter got to the media, there was a "proper way" for Crozier to handle his concerns.
Videos of Crozier leaving the USS Theodore Roosevelt on April 3 showed the crew supporting him by cheering and chanting his name.
Modly was apparently aware of the support Crozier had among his sailors, which he triggered by telling them that Crozier was "too naive, or too stupid to be commanding officer of a ship like this."
"I cannot control or attempt to change whatever anger you have with me for relieving your beloved CO," Modly said during his speech.
"I understand that you may be angry with me for the rest of your lives," he added. "I guarantee you won't be alone."
In an audio recording obtained by Insider, some of the service members were not receptive to his message.
"That's all I got to say about that," one person exclaimed after Modly gave his remarks.
"Yeah, that was uh... It's almost like we got an ass chewing, almost," another person said. "And he kind of called us pussies."
"He was like, 'b---- I said, what I said,'" a different person said.
In a separate recording obtained by Task & Purpose, one person proclaimed during Modly's speech, "What the f---?"
More than 150 service members aboard the carrier have tested positive for the coronavirus. Crozier also tested positive, The New York Times reported Sunday. Around 2,700 crew members are expected to be evacuated from the ship in the coming days to curb the coronavirus' spread.
Modly's office did not respond to a request for comment about his leaked remarks, but a statement attributed to him Monday said "I stand by every word."
Do you have a personal experience with the coronavirus you'd like to share? Or a tip on how your town or community is handling the pandemic? Please email covidtips@businessinsider.com and tell us your story.
And get the latest coronavirus analysis and research from Business Insider Intelligence on how COVID-19 is impacting businesses.
NEW: Acting Navy Secretary Thomas Modly says, "I stand by every word," after reportedly calling Captain Crozier "too naive or too stupid" to be in command. pic.twitter.com/Qcbf3JQKqb
- Geoff Bennett (@GeoffRBennett) April 6, 2020