Modly, in particular, generated a firestorm this week when he rebuked Crozier in an address to the Roosevelt's crew that was later posted online. In the address, Modly suggested Crozier was "naive" or "stupid" to think his widely circulated plea for help would remain private. Late Monday, Modly apologized for his remarks, despite defending them throughout the day. President Donald Trump on Monday also weighed in, saying he wants to “get involved” in Crozier’s firing because he doesn’t “want to destroy somebody for having a bad day."

Despite Modly’s walkback, some congressional Democrats have called for his resignation.

Lynch said he worried that Crozier's removal could have "a chilling effect on military leaders who have been entrusted to protect the men and women under their command in this challenging operational environment." His request for documents follows a call from 17 Senate Democrats for the Pentagon's inspector general to investigate Crozier's removal and the coronavirus outbreak on the Roosevelt.

In his letter to Esper, Lynch also requests a broader set of documents by Friday about the preparedness of far-flung military commands to deal with a potential coronavirus outbreak. He's seeking an inventory of the medical supplies — such as masks, gloves and hospital beds — "that each geographic combatant command would need to procure in order to effectively respond to a worst, best, and most-likely coronavirus outbreak among DOD personnel."

"The coronavirus crisis is spreading around the world and throughout the DOD community," Lynch wrote, adding, " Without essential medical supplies and personal protective equipment, the coronavirus crisis could expand rapidly from a medical risk for DOD personnel to an operational and strategic threat to our national security interests. It is critical for Congress to have a complete understanding of any equipment or capability limitations the Department and military planners have identified so that supplemental appropriations can be made in forthcoming legislation to support the health and readiness of our military forces."

Lynch noted that when he first reached out to Esper on March 26 for information, there were just eight coronavirus cases on the Roosevelt. By April 6, the positive cases mushroomed to 173. Crozier, in the subsequently leaked memo, had urged this crew be allowed to disembark so the ship could be sanitized. On April 1, Esper bristled at suggestions that broad swaths of the military be shut down to protect against coronavirus at the expense of operational readiness.

"I wholeheartedly agree, but the longer coronavirus is allowed to spread and threaten the health of our military and civilian DOD personnel, the greater the impact will be on military readiness," Lynch wrote.

Esper has indicated he agreed with Modly's decision to remove Crozier.

"It was based on his view that he had lost faith and confidence in the captain based on his actions. It was supported by Navy leadership," Esper said Sunday on CNN's "State of the Union." "And I think it’s just another example of how we hold leaders accountable for their actions."

