USS Gerald R. Ford Withdraws for Emergency Repairs After Onboard Fire
The USS Gerald R. Ford has left the Red Sea and docked at Souda Bay, Crete, for urgent pierside repairs after a severe fire broke out in the aft laundry on March 12, 2026. The blaze spread through ventilation ducts into berthing areas, displacing over 600 sailors and damaging bunks and personal effects. More than 200 crew members were treated for smoke inhalation before returning to duty. Two sailors sustained non-life-threatening injuries, with one later medevaced for additional care. To resupply the Ford’s crew, the Navy transferred 1,000 mattresses from the USS John F. Kennedy. Repair teams are now assessing what can be fixed immediately and what requires depot-level work back in the United States. The carrier has been deployed since June 2025, and an extended tour would mark the longest U.S. carrier deployment since Vietnam. Officials confirm the fire was not combat-related, and an investigation is examining all possible causes, including deliberate sabotage.
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