USS Gerald Ford: No one knows when she will sail again.

Trump used America's military assets like his personal toy set. Now, the US Navy has to figure out what eleven months at sea did to her.

The record speaks for itself: Three hundred and twenty-six days at sea. Four Atlantic crossings. Combat operations on two continents. Hundreds of strike sorties flown. Dozens of missiles were fired by her escorts. One major fire burned for 30 hours and forced 600 sailors out of their berthing compartments. Repeated breakdowns in the toilet system. A crew of 4,500 sailors held together by an extension that nobody planned for and that the chief of naval operations now says he never wants to repeat.

Clearly, the USS Gerald R. Ford has been through a lot. Now the bill comes due for all that service not to the nation but to Donald Trump and his supporters of foreign wars.

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AthrillatheHunt · 51-55, M

I’ll take a foreign war over a civil war any day

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hippyjoe1955 · 70-79, M

@sree251 I was a peace time officer in the CAF. My Father in Law and three uncles fought in WWII. FiL was at Ortona and on his death bed he began reciting the names ranks and serial numbers of the 7 men who died under his command at Ortona. 40 years after their death he could still remember those names. My uncle went in on Juno and was later at the liberation of Bergen Belsen. He was meaning a bren gun and when he came ashore at Juno and eliminated a German machine gun guarding the shore. Such a nonsensical war. A number of years later I met a German soldier. He was conscripted as a boy and was captured by the Canadians. He later immigrated to Canada and became a psychiatric nurse working in some of the most difficult wards. He was such a gentle soul. I still miss him.

sree251 · 41-45, M

@hippyjoe1955 I met a German trout farmer in Ontario on a trip with my mom to Lake Muskoka. He was such a warm guy. He told us that he fought the yankees in WW2. He said he was 19 at the time. His eyes lighted up when I asked him about Hitler of whom I have never been able to find an honest book. "Oh, Adolf," he responded with obvious admiration. He cautioned me about discussing him. Even in Canada, one needed to be careful, he said. My father was German.

hippyjoe1955 · 70-79, M

@sree251 My grandfather was a bit of a Nazi sympathizer and was too old and a needed farmer so he never fought. My father was too young to enlist so he never fought either. Jake was the German I mentioned. He was Mennonite an refused to be conscripted into the SS. He was 16 when he was given a rifle and told to go shoot Canadians. Of course he didn't have many bullets and the few he had quickly ran out. He and his troop surrendered after about 3 weeks of combat. He was ordered to not retreat and to keep the Canadians at bay. He was hiding in a ditch when the Canadians captured him. He kind of joked. What was he to do? Attack them with bare hands? He was not a fan of Hitler and had no good words to say about him.

Amalgam

Isnt that the purpose of aircraft carriers?

anythingoes477 · 31-35, M

The issue is not what was done to the ship.........the question is what did nearly a year with no breaks do the crew's morale and readiness?

For a year of stress and hard work...........they accomplished NOTHING. That s demoralizing.

Trump made sure of that.

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sree251 · 41-45, M

@anythingoes477 No, I have never served. Have you served?

anythingoes477 · 31-35, M

@sree251 4 years.

sree251 · 41-45, M

@anythingoes477 What did you get out of it?

hippyjoe1955 · 70-79, M

I wonder if the US now realizes its aircraft carriers are obsolete and simply provide target practice. Using 1940 tactics in 2026 will not win any wars.

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hippyjoe1955 · 70-79, M

@sree251 Why is the US attacking those two countries? Serious question.

sree251 · 41-45, M

@hippyjoe1955 Are you referring to Cuba and Venezuela?

hippyjoe1955 · 70-79, M

@sree251 Obviously. Strange how the regime in Venezuela is still there despite the billions spent capturing a despot. I remember reading Harry Truman who said the failure of Cuba is the result of Eisenhower's failure to act. Castro was not a die hard communist. He would have been friends with whomsoever would be his friend. The US didn't like Castro overthrowing their little playground money pit that was Batista's Cuba.

jackjjackson · M

Head on over to the dry dock and do you fair share of repair

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