FPP - 213 Top Gun, Tomcats, and AI Wingmen: Yank Cummings on Tomorrow’s War

And, uh, either way, it is, uh, yes, the Gerald R. Ford.

And, uh, I'm really curious your thoughts.

Like, my goodness, they've been on a whirlwind of a tour, 290-plus days.

They have had the fire that was, I think, pretty serious.

They're back in commission right now.

They're alongside with the Lincoln and the Bush out in the Middle East.

I mean, what is going on in your head as the CO of that amazing ship?

Yeah, I was the third commanding officer, got the ship through post-delivery test and trial, and just to see the ship go out on a second deployment now and answer the call.

So they needed to extend to the longest deployment since the Korean War or something along those lines and not limp home dragging a couple screws or some kinda major casualty.

Have a fire out there, which was really rough on the crew.

Thousand matches were sent out there to kinda help out sailors.

So sailors, in true Navy fashion, just hunkering down and getting the job done.

But I'm just happy for the crew and the ship that they're answering the bell, answering the call, and still out there.

Now, [laughs] it's been a long deployment.

Come home.

I've done a nine-monther on deployment.

That's tough on the family, on yourself.

And then of course, with the fire there, there's some challenges with conditions of living.

But a- again, in Navy fashion, we make it happen, and I'm looking forward to seeing that ship here next couple months.

So I know this, the, the plan is to have it come home soon.

I'm excited for all the naysayers, all the years that I was in command talked about how Ford would not work, and here we are.

It working.

I don't see the article stating how they were wrong.

I'm still waiting for those defense media folks who got it wrong to report that they were wrong.

But I don't think that's ever going to happen.