The US Navy on Thursday relieved the commander of the aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt, who wrote a scathing letter that leaked to the public asking for stronger measures to control a coronavirus outbreak onboard his warship. The removal of Captain Brett Crozier from command of the 5,000-person vessel, which was first reported by Reuters, was announced by acting US Navy Secretary Thomas Modly, who said the commander exercised poor judgment. The dismissal, two days after the commander’s letter leaked, was a dramatic example of how the coronavirus is challenging US institutions, even those accustomed to dangerous and complex missions like the US military. The move could have a chilling effect on others in the Navy looking to speak up about issues they are facing at a time when the Pentagon is withholding some of the more detailed data about coronavirus infections for fear of undermining the perception of US military readiness for a crisis or conflict. Reuters first reported last week that the Pentagon would start withholding some data about infections in its ranks. Modly said the letter was sent through the chain of command but Crozier did not safeguard it from being released outside the chain. “I have no information nor am I trying to suggest that he leaked the information,” Modly told a news conference. “He sent it out pretty broadly and in sending it out pretty broadly, he did not take care to ensure that it couldn’t be leaked and that’s part of his responsibility,” Modly said. “It raised alarm bells unnecessarily,” he added. The Navy’s move was criticized by Democratic Senator Mark Warner, who said the Navy needed people willing to speak up for sailors. He said that Crozier, by his actions, appeared to be a patriot “just trying to do what’s best for his crew.” “I don’t know why you would punish someone for that, especially with so many lives at stake,” he said.