Five days after the commander of a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier was removed from his post after his plea for Coronavirus help leaked into the press, Pentagon officials reported that at least 11 percent of the crew of the U.S.S. Theodore Roosevelt had tested positive for the virus, raising questions about how outbreaks might impact military readiness.
"There's 5,000 sailors on a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier," said said Joint Chiefs Vice Chairman Gen. John Hyten. "To think that it will never happen again is not a good way to plan."
As for the U.S.S. Theodore Roosevelt, the Navy was quickly testing all aboard.
"3170 of the crew tested negative. 416 have tested positive," said Hyten, who told reporters at a Pentagon briefing that over 1,100 crew members are still awaiting the results of their tests.
One sailor had been admitted to an intensive care unit.
"This will be a new way of doing business that we have to focus in on," Hyten added, acknowledging the military is watching closely, and trying to figure out answers.
"How do we quarantine a ship before it goes out? How do we consolidate the ship so we can operate?" Hyten said.
"We have a couple of other small pockets - not the size of the Teddy Roosevelt - but small, that we have to focus in on," the General said of virus threats writ large to the armed services.
The data about the U.S.S. Theodore Roosevelt came about a week after Captain Brett Crozier appealed for help on his ship - a move which ultimately spurred his ouster, and then resulted in the resignation of the Acting Navy Secretary, after he flew 2,500 miles to visit the ship, and ridiculed Crozier's leadership.
Along with the Theodore Roosevelt, there are confirmed Coronavirus cases on two other U.S. Navy carriers - the U.S.S. Nimitz, and the U.S.S. Ronald Reagan.
"There's been a very small number of breakouts on the Nimitz, and we're watching that very closely," Hyten said, going against other Navy denials of virus cases on board that vessel.
Overall, the military still says the threat from the virus is low to active duty service members, in part because of their young age.
"In aggregate, the slope is low and slow," Gen. Hyten said.
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