Concerns about maintenance of aircraft carrier USS Ford : NPR
The aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford has been at the center of two major conflicts in recent months. Some crew members’ parents and lawmakers worry about the impact of its long deployment.
MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:
U.S. military action in Iran was preceded by a massive buildup of Navy ships, including America’s newest and largest aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford. As NPR first reported, the Ford has also faced sewer issues and other maintenance issues. Steve Walsh from WHRO in Norfolk, Virginia, is here to tell us more. Hello, Steve.
STEVE WALSH, BYLINE: Hello, Michel.
MARTIN: So the Ford is one of two U.S. aircraft carriers participating in the strikes against Iran. What has he been doing since Saturday?
WALSH: So right now the USS Ford is in the Eastern Mediterranean. It’s off the coast of Israel, near the port of Haifa. The carrier conducts air operations 24 hours a day. Its positioning allows the Ford to defend the State of Israel from drone and missile attacks as both countries continue to conduct airstrikes.
MARTIN: So you’ve announced for the first time some of the problems the Ford has encountered since it left Norfolk last June. Could you just remind us what’s going on?
WALSH: Yeah. I mean, we’ve already reported how problems with the sewage system led to toilet breakdowns throughout the ship. According to Navy memos reviewed by NPR, problems worsened during the first months of the deployment. The breakdowns multiplied every day and the sailors on board had difficulty finding a solution. The Navy says the problems improved after that time, but it still receives an average of one call per day.
I spoke to Senator Mark Warner during a stop in Norfolk, Virginia, this weekend. He expressed concerns about the objectives of the Iranian military operation and the length of time the Ford remained at sea.
MARK WARNER: It kind of adds insult to injury if you’re deployed now for months beyond what you expected and the sewer system isn’t working. What kind of stress are we putting on these sailors?
WALSH: The USS Ford was involved in the Trump administration’s operation to oust Venezuela’s leader. It was then the only carrier available when the Trump administration decided to attack Iran.
MARTIN: Could you just say more about the kinds of problems that arise when a carrier stays at sea for that long?
WALSH: Well, I talked to retired Captain John Cordle about it. This is called a human factors engineer. He worked on the Navy’s report on the aircraft carrier USS Truman, which saw a crash and several F-18s lost during a turbulent Red Sea deployment that ended last June. He says sailors get involved, sort of get stuck in a state of mind.
JOHN CORDLE: There’s a difference between the can-do attitude and the “just do it” attitude that was noted in the Harry S. Truman Report, where people take shortcuts.
WALSH: In January, Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Daryl Caudle said he did not want to see the Ford extended, fearing the impact on the crew and their families, although he issued a message late last week saying the ship was ready. Upon its return, the carrier is expected to undergo maintenance in Norfolk, which includes an upgrade to its beleaguered plumbing system.
MARTIN: And do we have any idea how the crew is handling this deployment?
WALSH: I spoke to a relative of a crew member who said that in February the crew was told they would be home in early March. Less than 12 hours later, they were told the carrier was being diverted from the Caribbean to the Mediterranean and they likely wouldn’t return home until May. The relative told me that some sailors took the news hard, with some wondering if they wanted to stay in the Navy. If the carrier doesn’t return home before May, it could set a post-COVID record, when sailors were quarantined at sea for nearly a year.
MARTIN: Wow. This is Steve Walsh from WHRO in Norfolk, Virginia. Steve, thank you.
WALSH: Thank you, Michael.
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