As a regular defender of social media outrage targets, I'm on Modly's side of course. His comments were taken out of context, and Crozier's leak was a career ending move.
The #1 principle of the military, the one that transcends all others, is that you follow orders and don't question your superior officer's judgement in public -- especially the higher rank you are.
That's why Obama fired General Stanley McChrystal in 2010, because Rolling Stone Magazine published McChrystal's criticisms of the Obama administration's policies in Afghanistan.
The issue wasn't that the criticisms were embarrassing. Obama wasn't defending his policies by firing McChrystal. Instead, Obama was defending the institution of the military whereby officers do not publicly question their orders, ever.
The same is true of Crozier. A major new story splashed across the mainstream media had him questioning the judgement of his superiors. His career was over. Even if he didn't get fired immediately, he wasn't getting a new posting.
Of course, you sometimes have to question your superior's decisions. If they order you to take the hill at location X on the map, but there is instead a valley at that location, you have to fix the problem.
In practice, there is a lot of back and forth, supplying new information that superiors might not have, getting clarification on ambiguity's, and so forth.
The point is that this happens in PRIVATE.
The point is that this happens in PRIVATE.
Of course Crozier had a legitimate concern, and sending such memos was a legitimate way to address the concern. The issue is that instead of simply informing his superiors, he tried to manipulate his superiors by sending to a huge address list, to build political support.
That such a wide distribution list would lead to a public leak was entirely foreseeable -- and maybe even Crozier's desire all along.
Officers are responsible for such consequences. That's what being an "officer" means -- responsibility. It doesn't matter that Crozier himself didn't leak the memo, he was responsible for it.
Modly didn't call Crozier "stupid".
Modly said "If he didn't think that this information wasn't going to [leak], then he was stupid".
It wasn't trying to protect his crew that was stupid. It was sending to a wide distribution list that was stupid.
imgur.com/gallery/wy107Ru
Modly said "If he didn't think that this information wasn't going to [leak], then he was stupid".
It wasn't trying to protect his crew that was stupid. It was sending to a wide distribution list that was stupid.
imgur.com/gallery/wy107Ru
There's no question that it was stupid sending such a hot memo to a wide distribution list. There's no question that when it leaks to the press it's going to cost you your job in the military.
Though, despite defending Modly here, I agree that he also deserves to lose his job. Much like the #1 rule of the military officers is not to publicly question your superiors, the #1 rule of political appointments is not to publicly embarrass your superiors.
Modly's comments, while accurate and good in general, were politically tone deaf. If he couldn't foresee how they would cause a political shit storm, then he was too stupid to hold a political appointment like SECNAV.
His job is to handle such things so his bosses don't have to. Instead, he punted the problem upwards, forcing his bosses to either expend their own precious political capital defending him, or cut him loose. So they cut him loose.
"As always, should you or any of your IM Force be caught or killed, the Secretary will disavow any knowledge of your actions."
Same with SECNAVs. If you cause a shitstorm, you'll be disavowed.
Same with SECNAVs. If you cause a shitstorm, you'll be disavowed.
So I'd agree that Crozier is probably a hero trying to defend his crew -- but that leak was going to end his career one way or another.
So I'd agree that Modly is a turd -- but he was right to fire Crozier and his comments were rational and accurate.
So I'd agree that Modly is a turd -- but he was right to fire Crozier and his comments were rational and accurate.
By the way, the crew's cheering of Crozier and jeering of Modly means you have mass insubordination on an American aircraft carrier. I'm pretty sure the long term military carrier of everyone on that boat is toast.
