Our April 8 editorial called on the Navy to review the decision to remove Capt. Brett E. Crozier as the commander of the U.S.S. Theodore Roosevelt. We were delighted when the Navy did just that, leading to a recommendation by Admiral Michael Gilday, the chief of Naval Operations, to restore the captain to his post.

But on Wednesday, Acting Navy Secretary James McPherson said he had delayed a decision on whether to follow the recommendation and return Crozier to command of the nuclear-powered carrier. He wants a "deeper review."

McPherson is new to his office. It is reasonable to want more information before making such a significant decision. Restoring a disciplined commander is not something the Navy traditionally does. On the other hand, we cannot imagine Gilday would have made such a recommendation had he not reviewed the matter to his full satisfaction, making us confident Crozier will get his position back.

Crozier, you will recall, acted in the best interest of his sailors when he notified his superiors that fast action was needed to address the coronavirus sweeping through his carrier, which was operating in the eastern Pacific. The chain of command had been slow to respond to his earlier concerns.

"We are not at war. Sailors do not need to die. If we do not act now, we are failing to properly take care of our most trusted asset — our sailors," Crozier wrote March 30.

The next day the San Francisco Chronicle published a story on the letter and the situation aboard the Roosevelt. The ship was given permission to port at Guam and unload the ill sailors, where it remains. Capt. Crozier was among those testing positive. In fact, 840 of the 4,200-plus crew tested positive. One sailor died.

Former Acting Navy Secretary Thomas Modly was enraged that the letter critical of the initial response to the widespread infection on the carrier had found its way into the press. He blamed Crozier, though there was never any suggestion he was the one who leaked the information. It was Modly, on April 2, who dismissed Crozier, a decision widely unpopular with the crew, who cheered their captain as he disembarked.

Modly himself later faced fierce criticism, including from The Day, when he visited the Roosevelt and in a speech to the crew denigrated Crozier as "stupid or naïve." Modly stepped down after the resulting outcry.

The Day editorial board meets with political, business and community leaders to formulate editorial viewpoints. It is composed of President and Publisher Timothy Dwyer, Executive Editor Izaskun E. Larraneta, Owen Poole, copy editor, and Lisa McGinley, retired deputy managing editor. The board operates independently from The Day newsroom.