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USS Gerald R. Ford Pulls Into Crete for Repairs After Laundry-Room Fire

The unscheduled stop highlights strain from a nine-month deployment across the crew and the fleet.

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The first-in-class aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) steams in the Atlantic Ocean, Nov. 7, 2022. Picture is used for illustration (US Navy picture)
ATLANTIC OCEAN (Aug. 30, 2018) An MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopter assigned to Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 7 flies by the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) during dual-carrier sustainment operations with the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75). In addition to demonstrating the Navy's inherent flexibility and scalability, this evolution provides the opportunity to conduct complex, multi-unit training to enhance maritime interoperability and combat readiness; prepare the Navy to protect our homeland; and preserve and promote peace anywhere around the world. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Juan Sotolongo/Released)
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Overview

  • The carrier, which arrived Monday at Souda Bay, is undergoing pierside assessment and repairs as the Navy says it remains fully mission capable.
  • A March 12 blaze that began in the main laundry while operating in the Red Sea was non-combat and contained, but smoke damaged berthing, destroyed more than 100 racks, and displaced hundreds of sailors.
  • Initial military statements cited two injuries, whereas later reporting and a senator’s letter said more than 200 sailors were treated for smoke inhalation, with one crew member flown off the ship for care.
  • Ford’s move to Greece temporarily reduces the U.S. carrier presence near Iran, leaving USS Abraham Lincoln as the lone carrier in the region as strike-group operations continue elsewhere.
  • The port call comes during an unusually long 270-plus-day deployment marked by recurring vacuum-sewage system failures and renewed scrutiny from Pentagon testers over the reliability of key Ford-class systems.