Aircraft carrier with virus history to resume its mission
Almost two months after it docked in Guam amid a spiraling outbreak of coronavirus, the Theodore Roosevelt set sail, returning to the Philippine Sea to prepare the nuclearpowered aircraft carrier to resume its mission, the Navy said.
The ship left the island on Thursday morning Guam time to conduct carrier qualification flights. It was the first time the warship left the island since it arrived in Guam on March 27 under dire conditions.
“It feels great to be back at sea,” said Rear Adm. Stu Baker, commander of the Carrier Strike Group 9. “Getting Theodore Roosevelt and Carrier Air Wing 11 one step closer to returning to their mission in the IndoPacific is a great achievement for the crew.”
The ship returned to sea despite a reported 13 sailors testing positive a second time after serving at least a 14day quarantine and testing negative twice. The stubborn virus infected more than 1,000 of the sailors, killing one and hospitalizing several more.
The plight of the Roosevelt garnered national headlines after The Chronicle published the desperate letter from former commanding officer Capt. Brett Crozier, who called for a speedy evacuation of the ship to prevent sailors from dying. His efforts, after becoming public, led to his removal from the ship. Shortly thereafter, the thenacting Navy secretary resigned after a controversial speech to the crew in which he badmouthed Crozier.
Almost 4,000 of the crew were pulled off the ship and quarantined in the naval base or in individual hotel rooms on Guam. Meanwhile, a skeleton crew remained on the ship and cleaned and sanitized it from bow to stern.
The Navy is investigating and expects to finish its probe and possibly reinstate Crozier. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also teamed up with the Navy to conduct a health study on the incident, which is also ongoing.
The carrier originally departed San Diego on Jan. 17 for an IndoPacific deployment.
The smaller crew heading to sea on Thursday passed “rigorous returntowork criteria,” the Navy said.
“We are scaling our manning on board based on our mission requirement,” said Capt. Carlos Sardiello, Theodore Roosevelt’s commanding officer. “Carrier qualification requires fewer personnel than other missions, and bringing fewer sailors on board will enable enhanced social distancing while underway.”
The sailors will try to adhere to social distancing on the cramped vessel, the Navy said, and practiced during simulations this week. New onboard standards include wearing masks, medical surveillance of the crew, adjusted meal hours, minimizing inperson meetings and sanitizing spaces.
“It was an unprecedented challenge to get to this point and I’m proud of the Rough Rider Team’s tenacity and resiliency in the face of uncertainty,” said Sardiello. “We are extremely thankful for the dedicated support and hospitality of Gov. Leon Guerrero, her staff and the people of Guam. They have been steadfast and proactive partners throughout.”