DVIDS – News – USS Gerald R. Ford celebrates Thanksgiving at sea | Daily News Byte

Being away from home for the holidays can be tough, but the first-in-class aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) crew came together with their Navy family to make it special and memorable Thanksgiving, Nov. 24, during Ford’s maiden deployment.

The smell of turkey and hearty sides filled the air inside the ship’s hull as Ford’s culinary specialists worked hard to make the holiday special for the crew.

“The holidays are a difficult time to be away from family, friends, and loved ones,” said Lt. Cmdr. Phillip Jones, Ford’s assistant supply officer. “We created an unforgettable experience this Thanksgiving full of fun, food and football for everyone on board.”

Culinary specialists aboard Ford teamed up to create their biggest meal of the year. The star of the show is 1,000 pounds of turkey, 900 pounds of prime rib and 400 pounds of honey-baked ham. Overall, over 5000 pounds of meats, sides, and desserts were served from 2-6 pm

Cooking this feast is a hands-on endeavor and can be very demanding. In total, a small army of 176 culinary specialists and food service attendants are dedicated to bringing a little bit of that ‘home for the holidays’ feeling to the thousands of crew members.

Along with the hard work and dedication of the supply division, over 200 volunteers from the tree mess and the first class petty officer association offered their time to prepare, deliver and clean up dinner for the crew.

“This is our opportunity as leaders to give back to our Sailors – we want to thank them for all their efforts.” said Ford’s chief petty officer mess president, Senior Chief Aviation Boatswain’s Mate (Handling) James Frost, from Las Cruces, New Mexico, who is assigned to Ford’s air department. “We want them to know that we appreciate their hard work and all the long hours they contribute to the team. For many Sailors, this is their first Thanksgiving away from home. We are family here and this is a small token of our appreciation for our staff.”

With the hectic tempo of operations, training schedules and time zone changes, a day of rest, food, and celebration is well deserved for the crew. MWR closed the holiday with a health fair, corn hole, row competition and more football.

“As our time at sea draws to a close, Thanksgiving serves as a good time to reflect on the success our mighty warship has seen in 2022 as a result of the hard work and dedication of the crew,” said Capt. Paul Lanzilotta, Ford’s commanding officer. “Once again, we ‘crushed’ and met the standard for safe hanging at sea. I also want to extend thanks to our colleagues at Carrier Air Wing Eight (CVW-8), Destroyer Squadron Two, Carrier Strike Group Twelve, and the continued support of our friends and family on the homefront. Our loved ones kept us going.”

The Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group is deployed in the Atlantic Ocean, conducting training and operations with NATO Allies and partners to enhance integration for future operations and demonstrate the US Navy’s commitment to a peaceful, stable and undisturbed Atlantic region.

USS Gerald R. Ford is a first-in-class aircraft carrier, and the first new aircraft carrier designed in more than 40 years. The flagship left Norfolk, Va., Oct. 4 in its first operational deployment, setting the stage for the US Navy’s newest class of carriers.

For more information about USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78), visit https://www.airlant.usff.navy.mil/cvn78/, and follow on Facebook @USSGeraldRFord, Instagram @cvn78_grford, Twitter @Warship_78, LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/uss-gerald-r-ford-cvn-78/ and DVIDS www.dvids.net/CVN78.