Kaine Presses Navy on Extended Deployment of USS Gerald R. Ford

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) and Ranking Member of the SASC Subcommittee on Seapower, sent a letter to Secretary of the Navy John Phelan raising concerns regarding the deployment of USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78), which has been extended twice and is on track to break the record for longest carrier deployment since the end of the Vietnam War. This comes as Ford is currently headed to Naval Support Activity Souda Bay for repairs from a fire that began in the ship's laundry area; the blaze required more than 24 hours of damage control efforts and resulted in over 200 Sailors being treated for smoke inhalation. In the letter, Kaine raised concerns about the ship's maintenance and deployment cycle, morale and wellbeing of Sailors aboard the carrier, and retention.

"The men and women of our nation's Navy and their families-many of whom live in Virginia-sign up to serve our country knowing that there will be hard days, long deployments, and significant time away from loved ones. However, I am deeply concerned about the lengthy deployment of USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78), which has been extended twice after the President ordered military action in the Caribbean and Middle East," wrote Kaine. "Continued extended deployments like this one have serious implications for the maintenance and deployment cycles of our ships, Sailors' morale and wellbeing, and retention."

"I am concerned that we are handicapping our future readiness by delaying much-needed maintenance to fulfill these deployment extensions," Kaine continued. "When ships finally return from an extended deployment, their maintenance periods often run beyond the anticipated time and budget, creating a self-perpetuating cycle of decreased readiness and shipyard delays."

"Most importantly, these lengthy deployments put immense strain on our Sailors," Kaine wrote. "I am deeply concerned about the compounding mental and physical toll this long deployment and uncertainty is taking on our Sailors."

"I am immensely proud to represent so many military members and their families who live in Virginia. They work each day to protect our country and uphold our nation's values. We owe it to them to ensure that the sacrifices we ask of them are worth it," Kaine concluded. "This growing pattern of deployment extensions, both for Ford and the broader Fleet, is directly contributing to decreased ship readiness and spiraling morale among our Sailors. I urge you to take substantive steps that put our Sailors and ships first."

Full text of the letter is available here and below:

Dear Secretary Phelan,

The men and women of our nation's Navy and their families-many of whom live in Virginia-sign up to serve our country knowing that there will be hard days, long deployments, and significant time away from loved ones. However, I am deeply concerned about the lengthy deployment of USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78), which has been extended twice after the President ordered military action in the Caribbean and Middle East. Ford is on track to break the record for longest carrier deployment since the end of the Vietnam War. Continued extended deployments like this one have serious implications for the maintenance and deployment cycles of our ships, Sailors' morale and wellbeing, and retention.

I am concerned that we are handicapping our future readiness by delaying much-needed maintenance to fulfill these deployment extensions. The extended deployment of Ford, our newest and most expensive aircraft carrier, has forced Sailors to improvise with broken equipment and ship support systems. It also requires our shipyards to adapt to volatile and unpredictable deployment schedules, delaying and impeding other required maintenance. When ships finally return from an extended deployment, their maintenance periods often run beyond the anticipated time and budget, creating a self-perpetuating cycle of decreased readiness and shipyard delays.

Planned deployment cycles ensure that the U.S. Navy is forward deployed when and where it is needed. Though deployment extensions temporarily maintain forces in an area, keeping them in-theater beyond their planned deployment window causes delays and schedule shifts that affect later deployments. Further, deployment requirements have not substantially changed despite the decreasing size of the Navy. Managing the same level of presence abroad with fewer ships puts enormous strain on the Fleet and decreases the margin of error for scheduling shifts.

Most importantly, these lengthy deployments put immense strain on our Sailors. It has been reported that Ford has been plagued by persistent sewage system failures and inoperable laundry facilities. I am deeply concerned about the compounding mental and physical toll this long deployment and uncertainty is taking on our Sailors. These are some of the brightest and most resilient minds our country has to offer, yet they and their families in Virginia are being pushed to a breaking point by a schedule that shifts without warning and a ship that, despite its $13 billion cost, is failing to provide basic quality-of-life standards.

I am requesting answers to the following questions by April 15, 2026:

1. What was the impact of the fire on Ford? How were Sailors impacted? What systems within the ship did it impact?
2. Will Ford's extension delay its future scheduled deployments? By how much?
3. We have limited docks for aircraft carriers. How does Ford's extension impact the maintenance schedule for the CVN program, and future refueling and decommissioning efforts?
4. Of Ford CSG Sailors eligible for reenlistment since June 24, 2025, what percentage have elected to end their service? How does that compare to the service's average retention rate?
5. What support is being given to families with servicemembers deployed the Ford CSG?

I am immensely proud to represent so many military members and their families who live in Virginia. They work each day to protect our country and uphold our nation's values. We owe it to them to ensure that the sacrifices we ask of them are worth it. This includes providing them with the resources they need to do their jobs and supporting their families. This growing pattern of deployment extensions, both for Ford and the broader Fleet, is directly contributing to decreased ship readiness and spiraling morale among our Sailors. I urge you to take substantive steps that put our Sailors and ships first.

Sincerely,

###