USS Gerald R. Ford Heads to Crete for Fire Repairs

The USS Gerald R. Ford, the U.S. Navy's most advanced aircraft carrier, is sailing from the Red Sea to a U.S. naval facility in Souda Bay, Crete, for repairs following a fire that broke out in its laundry area on March 12. The incident occurred during the ship's extended deployment supporting U.S. military operations against Iran, displacing more than 600 sailors and highlighting strains on the vessel and its crew after nearly nine months at sea.

The fire, which U.S. officials have described as non-combat related, started in the carrier's aft laundry facility while it was operating under U.S. Central Command in the Red Sea. Crew members contained the blaze after several hours of firefighting, but the full damage control response, including cleanup of water and smoke and prevention of flare-ups, extended for about 30 hours. Smoke spread through ventilation systems into adjacent berthing areas, damaging more than 100 sleeping spaces and rendering them uninhabitable. In response, the Navy airlifted 1,000 replacement mattresses and spare clothing from the USS John F. Kennedy in Norfolk, Virginia, by March 13. The ship's laundry services were also disrupted, adding to operational...