Midrats Mid-May Free for All

...get your mid-month checkup...

Blockades, 11-month deployments, the Vietnam War, shipbuilding plans, and some love for our friends from The Philippines…a full plate for a Midrats Free for All.

Summary

This episode covers the recent return of the USS Gerald Ford after a 326-day deployment, the significance of naval operations, shipbuilding plans, and geopolitical considerations in the Indo-Pacific region. The hosts analyze naval readiness, technological advancements, and strategic challenges facing the US Navy.

You can listen at this link, or via the Spotify widget below.

Show Links

• FORD Carrier Strike Group receives Presidential Unit Citation.

• Sailors looking like Sailors

• USS Mahan (DDG-72) returns from deployment

• USS Midway (CV-41) off Vietnam 1973

• Easter Offensive of 1972

• Hong Kong’s Mary Soo

• Executive Orders:

  • 14192

  • 14265

  • 14269

• Latest Shipbuilding Plan

• Decades-long requirement for a nuclear powered escort

• Mobilize: How to Reboot the American Industrial Base and Stop World War III,

  by Shyam Sankar and Madeline Hart

• Episode 393: Building the right carrier; heavy, medium, or light with Tal Manvel

• Balikatan 2026

• China, the unwanted guest

Chapters

00:00: Introduction and Overview of the USS Gerald Ford’s Deployment

10:01: Lessons Learned from the USS Gerald Ford’s Deployment

14:24: Historical Context of Carrier Deployments

22:29: Life on Deployment: Experiences and Morale

30:27: Current Naval Operations and Future Considerations

33:02: The Ongoing Naval Operations in the Persian Gulf

38:55: Challenges in Aircraft Carrier Deployment

44:47: The Future of Shipbuilding and Naval Assets

50:54: The Role of Nuclear Power in Modern Naval Warfare

56:52: International Naval Cooperation and Exercises