Photo By Petty Officer 2nd Class Adonica Munoz | NORFOLK, Va. (Aug. 16, 2024) Capt. Rick Burgess, third from right, commanding officer...... read more read more
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NORFOLK, Va. (Aug. 16, 2024) -- The Sailors and crew of the USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78), opened its first United Service Organization (USO) afloat game room, library, and officer’s lounge, today aboard the world's largest aircraft carrier.
“For the past 83 years, arguably no one has contributed more to the morale of Sailors, Soldiers, Marines, and Airmen than the USO,” said Ford’s commanding officer Capt. Rick Burgess. “This is going to give our Sailors an opportunity to make the ship a home away from home.”
Personnel Specialist 2nd Class Gilbert Lopez, of Naples, Florida, assigned to Ford’s supply department, looks forward to building community with other Sailors. “I’m excited for us to have a place to lay back and forget about the stressors of work,” said Lopez.
After hundreds of hours of labor and a $200,000 budget along with construction materials donated by the USO, Ford’s game room is the newest in the Fleet and the first ever on a Ford class carrier. The team similarly remodeled the officer’s lounge and the ship’s library. Cmdr. Josh Earls, of Dallas, Ford’s Chaplain, recounted the challenge and ultimate success of the renovation.
“The project required a lot of work that CRMD doesn’t normally do,” said Earls. “We’re not used to coordinating the shipping and receiving of 70 pallets of materials or obtaining the waivers necessary to paint a room a particular color or install the type of flooring we used. So those were obstacles that required extra planning and extra time.”
Ford’s Tiger Team is composed of 20 Sailors from various departments throughout the ship, supervised by Chief Religious Program Specialist Yanet Chavez, of Bailey, North Carolina, assigned to Ford’s CRMD, and led by Aviation Boatswain’s Mate 1st Class Nyesha Searles, of Edgefield, South Carolina, assigned to Ford’s training department.
“The Tiger Team bore the brunt of the labor,” recalled Chavez. “Much of the work was done during some of the hottest days in July, but the team did a really great job by putting forth maximum effort.”
The results of this effort will provide Ford’s Sailors with numerous amenities to improve their quality of life.
The game room houses seven TVs, each with a Playstation 5 or Xbox Series X, and a pair of chairs for gaming. The walls are decorated with LED lights, including one at the front of the room with President Gerald R. Ford’s signature. Refreshments are also be available for Sailors. Crewmembers oversee the game room from the front desk and maintain cleanliness.
For Sailors who prefer other forms of entertainment, the game room features an area where crewmembers can play board and card games.
The officer’s lounge and ship’s library received significant upgrades as well, with the lounge receiving new flooring and installing new furniture. The library has two noise-free phone booths that will allow for private calls, along with improved book shelves and computer work stations.
“It was a group effort coordinating between the Training Department, officers, and the Tiger Team,” said Earls. “But the Tiger Team deserves the lion’s share of the credit. Their hard work and effort were extraordinary.”
Gerald R. Ford is the U.S. Navy’s newest and most advanced aircraft carrier. The ship is currently pierside conducting routine maintenance. For more information about the USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78), visit https://www.airlant.usff.navy.mil/cvn78/ and follow along on Facebook: @USSGeraldRFord, Instagram: @cvn78_grford, X: @CVN78_GRFord, DVIDS www.dvids.net/CVN78 and LinkedIn at USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78).
| Date Taken: | 08.16.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 08.16.2024 13:58 |
| Story ID: | 478841 |
| Location: | NORFOLK, VIRGINIA, US |
| Web Views: | 613 |
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