As the United States positions its largest naval and air force in the Middle East in decades amid escalating tensions with Iran, the crew of the USS Gerald R. Ford is confronting serious and very uncomfortable problems aboard the Navy's newest aircraft carrier.
The nuclear-powered supercarrier has been underway since June 2025, and under President Donald Trump's orders its deployment has now been extended twice as Washington braces for possible military action against Tehran.
Typically, a carrier's tour lasts about six months; Ford's crew has now been at sea for over eight months, with expectations the mission may stretch to 11 months, breaking US Navy records for continuous deployment.
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But while planners focus on potential conflict with Iran, nearly 5,000 sailors on board are dealing with a crisis far closer to home: blocked toilets and chronic sewage failures.
According to reporting by NPR, problems with the ship's vacuum-based sewage system have worsened the longer the vessel remains at sea, with faulty parts and clogs knocking bathrooms out of service.
“Since it's a vacuum system,” NPR noted, “a problem with one head can cause all of the toilets in that part of the ship to lose suction,” making it hard for maintenance crews to isolate issues.
Sailors have found everything from T-shirts to a four-foot rope jamming the lines, with the most common failure occurring where pieces come loose inside the toilet mechanisms.
The Ford, which cost about $13 billion to build, has roughly 650 toilets—many of which are reported to be malfunctioning or offline due to these failures. Sailors have been forced to work “round the clock” to patch leaks and restore suction.
The strained system has taken a human toll as well. Many young sailors are reportedly angry and upset, with some telling The Wall Street Journal they plan to leave the Navy once the deployment ends.
Most of the crew are in their early 20s and have already missed birthdays, family events and other milestones because of the ship's extended time at sea. Communication with loved ones remains limited due to operational “ghost mode,” adding to the emotional strain.
Despite the plumbing woes and extended deployment, the Navy maintains that the carrier remains fully mission-capable, continuing to transit toward the Middle East to join other forces in the region.
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