Threats

Inside the Wild Final Week of the Acting Navy Secretary

How it all fell apart for Thomas Modly in seven days that included a two-plane, 50-hour trip to chastise a fired skipper to his sailors aboard a COVID-stricken aircraft carrier.

Defense Systems

Navy speeds acquisition amid COVID-19 outbreak

Navy Acquisition Chief James Geurts said acquisition activities have sped up in response to the coronavirus crisis and helped the service pinpoint weak spots in the supply chain.

Defense Systems

Some of DOD's telework changes could be permanent

A new emphasis on telework at the Defense Department in response to the COVID-19 pandemic could change work culture at the Pentagon, officials said.

Defense Systems

Navy CIO is unbothered by leadership shakeups

The Navy CIO updated the workforce on telework practices, COVID-19 disclosures and what the change in service leadership means for the tech mission.

Science & Tech

The Air Force and Navy Are Testing This App to Stay Fit Amid Social Distancing

A biometric data app is helping the services monitor the health of sailors and airmen stuck at home.

Policy

Pentagon Delays Budget Deadline to Help Staff Work from Home

Service officials had complained that a June 1 deadline was preventing them from implementing coronavirus-related social-distancing guidelines.

Defense Systems

Acting Navy secretary resigns

Acting Navy Secretary Thomas Modly resigned after audio surfaced of him calling the now-ex commander of the USS Theodore Roosevelt “stupid” in front of crew members.

Policy

Acting Navy Secretary Quits After Slamming Fired CO to Carrier Crew

Thomas Modly flew to Guam on Monday, made a 15-minute speech aboard USS Theodore Roosevelt, and spent the rest of the day trying to wriggle out of trouble.

Threats

The Battle of USS Theodore Roosevelt: a Timeline

The COVID-stricken aircraft carrier sailed out of its regular deployment and into international headlines, with repercussions from Guam to Washington. Here's what happened and when.

Ideas

So Much for Keeping the Military Out of Politics

Acting Navy Secretary Modly’s Trumpian approach to the military and his firing of a carrier captain has gone over like a lead anchor. Now members of Congress are calling for his own firing.

Policy

Acting Navy Secretary Under Fire For Speech Calling Fired Captain ‘Stupid’

‘What the f-ck?’ a sailor can be heard yelling in the background of Modly’s speech over the ship’s PA system.

Policy

‘It Doesn’t Add Up To Me’: Current and Former Navy Officials Question Captain’s Abrupt Dismissal

“Why wasn’t there an investigation done before the captain was relieved?” one former senior official asked.

Threats

Aircraft Carrier Captain Fired For ‘Poor Judgement’ In Sending Coronavirus Letter

Acting Secretary Modly’s Thursday decision to sack the skipper of Theodore Roosevelt was quickly criticized as retaliation for embarrassing Navy leaders.

Business

US Navy Speeds Weapon Buys To Keep Small Suppliers Afloat Amid Coronavirus

The service has already accelerated deals for anti-air missiles and submarine-hunting planes.

Threats

US Sailors Pour Off Aircraft Carrier and Into Coronavirus Isolation on Guam

Navy leaders praise ship’s captain for urgent evacuation request; 3,700 will leave the ship within days.

Threats

US Navy Evacuating Aircraft Carrier Infected by Coronavirus

A skeleton crew will man critical stations while Theodore Roosevelt is disinfected pierside in Guam, Acting Secretary Modly said.

Science & Tech

Can Better Airplane Boarding Procedures Slow the Spread of Coronavirus?

A new computer model offers a better way to understand how people move in tight spaces, which can affect how viruses spread.

Ideas

The US Navy Can, and Should, Do More Against the Coronavirus

Aircraft carriers and big-deck amphibious ships can help — as they have often done in humanitarian-relief efforts overseas.