Ford Carrier Heads to Crete for Repairs After Non-Combat Laundry Fire
The USS Gerald R. Ford, the Navy’s most advanced aircraft carrier, is moving away from Iran-related operations in the Red Sea and heading to Souda Bay in Crete for repairs after a March 12 fire in the ship’s laundry area. The non-combat incident injured two sailors who were treated and stabilized; about 600 crew members were displaced and more than 100 bunks damaged. The Ford’s carrier strike group will remain in the region while repairs are assessed, and officials say the deployment could become one of the longest since Vietnam if it lasts through mid-April.