The USS Gerald R. Ford is the Navy’s newest and largest aircraft carrier, and the first of a new generation of carriers. The Ford is slated to depart Naval Station Norfolk on Oct. 3, 2022, embarking on its first deployment. (Jonathon Gruenke, Daily Press/TNS)
(Tribune News Service) — The Navy will forgo a traditional, pier-side sendoff for the USS Gerald R. Ford due to severe weather in the forecast for the Hampton Roads, Va., area Monday.
Instead, Bollinger said, sailors had to report to the Ford on Sunday night to ensure all crew members were on board before the weather deteriorates. The weather may affect the warship’s scheduled underway time, a press release from the 2nd Fleet later said.
The Ford will operate in the Atlantic Ocean as the lead ship of a strike group bearing the carrier’s name. The strike group, made up of approximately 9,000 personnel, will focus training on air defense, anti-subsurface warfare, distributed maritime operations, mine countermeasures and amphibious operations.
caitlyn.burchett@virginiamedia.com
