Well, there are a lot of these ships going around the world all the time, and very seldom does anything like this happen. I just don’t want people thinking that U.S. aircraft carriers aren’t safe.

Apparently, careless smoking is not a uniquely Eastern European thing. Or perhaps someone decided to frag their ship (just a little bit, not badly).

From the article:

The U.S. military’s Central Command said two sailors received treatment for “non-life-threatening injuries.” People on the ship reported that dozens of service members suffered smoke inhalation.

And in the category of non-life-threatening, but still not ideal, many sailors have not been able to do laundry since the fire.

The ship, along with its 4,500 sailors and fighter pilots, was in the Mediterranean on Oct. 24 when Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered it to steam to the Caribbean to add weight to President Trump’s pressure campaign on Nicolás Maduro, Venezuela’s leader before his seizure.

From the Caribbean, the carrier rushed to the Middle East for the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran, which is now in its third week.

Speaking to sailors on board aircraft carriers is difficult in the best of circumstances. During a war, the ships and military bases involved in operations go “dark,” limiting the ability of service members to communicate with the outside world. The officials and sailors interviewed for this article spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly.

The Ford is now entering its 10th month of deployment. It will break the record for longest post-Vietnam War carrier deployment if it is still at sea in mid-April. That record, at 294 days, was set by the U.S.S. Abraham Lincoln in 2020.

Crew members on the Ford have been told that their deployment will probably be extended into May, which would put them at an entire year at sea, twice the length of a normal aircraft carrier deployment.

There have also been reports of sailors flushing all sorts of things down toilets to clog them. These guys are doing everything they can to sabotage their ships and get out of there.

Go check your dryer vents, people

https://archive.ph/2f6nO

Archive link

So, an Iranian drone probably hit it. But they’re of course never admitting that

I wouldn't be surprised if the US military is a paper tiger just as Russia. Not to the same extent but I'd bet there's just as much rot and corruption under the hood.

Hmmm...

That's nuts. It's hard for me to imagine a fire that after a whole day isn't put out but also hasn't broken totally out of control and destroyed the ship.

I mean... 30 hours? Imagine issuing a status update after 20 hours of continuous fire fighting and being like, 'Well, we think it's under control... It's not growing anymore. How long until it's out? I don't know, I'm pretty sure we're past the half way point.'

Crazy.

Also, I wonder how it started? Was someone sneaking a cigarette? Did someone get stir crazy and start playing with matches? Weird AF.

Is this the carrier equivalent of bone spurs?

park it in the Strait of Hormuz you cowards

military concepts like "standoff" and "beyond visual range" were invented by woke Marxist generals who were afraid of getting their hands dirty

the Ford is a gigantic ship, Iran only has small wittle boats. they'll definitely run away and be scared of it.

Remember to clean out your dryer traps and lines folks.

The ford was supposed to be in dock for maintenance and swapping out crew right now.

It’s having a lot of minor issues right now, and I wonder how much of that is that systems not getting the maintenance they need, and how much of that is due to crew ignoring routine tasks, or actively causing problems because they’re pissed they’re being forced to stay out longer.

Someone didn't clean the dryer lint. That sounds like a lack of daily maintenance through inattention.