VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Jondanae Garza was in elementary school when the first cut of steel for the USS Gerald R. Ford was made in 2005. Now 17 years later, she shares a milestone with the Navy’s newest and most technologically advanced warship — both are deploying for the first time.
The Ford departed Oct. 4 from Naval Station Norfolk, embarking on a two-month-long deployment to train with North Atlantic Treaty Organization allies. During the special deployment, which comes after nearly two decades of construction, the crew will hone the capabilities of the warship’s 23 new technologies.
One of those technologies is the advanced damage control system — a unique system Garza has learned as part of her duties as a second class hull maintenance technician for the ship. She is one of 26, among a crew of approximately 4,000 sailors, who work with this new technology.
