Yes that CC was absolutely what got him canned.  It's also the thing that ensured the Navy couldn't leave all those kids out to dry. That's precisely what the discussion is really about at the larger scale. If anything, it tells me that he outright didn't trust his superiors to do what's right, or he at the least wasn't entirely sure that they would do what's right...which is essentially the same thing. I guess it depends on from which POV you look, but it signals to me that some of the brass are the problem, if anything. If your soldiers don't trust you, that is YOUR fault as a leader, in my opinion.