TAC numbers “Bullseyes”
· Frame number: Frames run the length of the ship and indicate how far forward or aft you are, starting at frame O (bow) and ending at frame 265 (stem). Spaces forward of the bow are labeled with frame letters A-L.
· Deck number: The Hangar Bay serves as the main deck (1). From there, the numbers increase the further away you get. An ” O” is added to levels above the hangar bay.
· Port/Starboard: if a number is odd, you are on the ship’s starboard side. If a number is even, you are on the ship’s port side. A higher number indicates that you are farther outboard from the center of the ship.
· Space Use: The specific use of a space is indicated by the assigned letters:
A – Dry Storage
C- Control Spaces
L – Living Spaces
M – Ammunition
Q – Offices
T – Vertical Access
Electrical Power Distribution System
Generates nearly three times the amount of electrical power from Nimitz-class.
Advanced Weapons Elevators (AWE)
AWE moves more ordnance faster and requires less maintenance and personnel to operate. Ford has 11 weapons elevators with 4 upper stage elevators and 7 lower stage, enhancing the ship’s ability to move 24,000 pounds per load at a speed greater than Nimitz-class carriers.
Plasma Arc Waste Destruction System (PAWDS)
Efficiently processes shipboard waste in an environmentally responsible fashion in compliance with national and international laws, rules, regulations and standards. PAWDS burns an average of 2,500 to 3,000 pounds of trash on a normal day underway onboard Ford at 9,032 degrees Fahrenheit. With the use of PAWDS, 100 pounds of trash can be reduced to one pound of ash.
Dual Band Radar (DBR)
DBR is the primary radar for contacting aircraft. Its two functions are multifunction radar and volume
search radar, which together provides a complete 360-degree air picture around the ship.
Sage: a special dog Part of the first Expanded Operational Stress Control Canine Pilot Program
Sage, a three-year-old female yellow Labrador Retriever, is deployed aboard the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78), May 3, as part of the Expanded Operational Stress Control Canine pilot program.
This innovative program is aimed at providing a unique outlet and comfort for Sailors during deployment, with the goal of helping them cope with the operational stress associated with their work.
Sage is part of the warfighter toughness mental health and resiliency team on the Gerald R. Ford and is specially trained to help Sailors deal with the challenges of deployment. Animals have been proven to be an effective form of stress relief and can provide a sense of companionship, which is why Sage is expected to be an invaluable asset to the crew during their deployment.
CARRIER STRIKE GROUP TWELVE “READY ON ARRIVAL”
RADM Erik Eslich
Commander, Carrier Strike Group Twelve (CSG-12)
Rear Adm. Eslich is a native of Fort Lauderdale, Florida. He earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from the United States Naval Academy in May 1993. He also earned a master’s degree in strategic studies from the Naval War College.
As a career surface warfare officer, he served tours aboard USS Lake Erie (CG 70), USS Wasp (LHD 1), USS Oscar Austin (DDG 79), and Commander, Cruiser Destroyer Group Eight. Eslich served as executive officer for both USS O’Kane (DDG 77) and USS Ramage (DDG 61) and he went on to command both USS Ramage and Destroyer Squadron Two (CDS 2), throughout which, he has made multiple deployments in support of training and real-world operations.
Ashore, he served as a U.S. House of Representatives case officer, Office of Legislative Affairs; executive assistant to Commander, Naval Surface Force Atlantic; global requirements officer at the Joint Integrated Air and Missile Defense Organization (JIAMDO); surface warfare community manager at the Bureau of Navy Personnel (BUPERS-3); and as executive assistant to the Deputy Commander and Commander at U.S. Fleet Forces Command; and Deputy Commander at Seventh Fleet.
Eslich’s personal decorations include the Legion of Merit, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Navy Meritorious Service Medal, Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal, Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, and various campaign and service medals and ribbons.
Eslich began serving as Commander, Carrier Strike Group Twelve, in May 2023.
CAPT Richard G. Burgess
Commanding Officer
USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78)
Capt. Rick Burgess, a native of Bellevue, WA, graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1996 with a Bachelor of Science in Political Science and was designated a Naval Flight Officer in 1998.
Operational assignments include tours with Fighter Squadron (VF) 31, USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72); Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 102, USS Kitty Hawk (CV 63); and two tours with VFA-103, USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) and USS George Washington (CVN 73).
Shore assignments include service as Action Officer in the House Liaison Office, Office of Legislative Affairs (OLA); TOPGUN Instructor with Navy Fighter Weapons School; Strike Fighter Placement Officer (PERS-433B) with Navy Personnel Command (NPC); Branch Chief, Global Missile Defense Requirements at Joint Integrated Air and Missile Defense Organization (JIAMDO), the Joint Staff (J8); and Homeland Defense Technologies Project Lead with The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL).
He completed the Air Command and Staff College Non-Resident Program, earned a Master of Arts in National Security and Strategic Studies from Naval War College, and has a graduate certificate in Nuclear Engineering from Naval Postgraduate School.
He commanded VFA-103, The Jolly Rogers, from July 2013 to November 2014; served as Executive Officer of USS George H. W. Bush (CVN 77) from June 2019 to December 2020; and commanded the nation’s first Expeditionary Sea Base, USS Lewis B. Puller (ESB 3), from May 2021 to August 2022.
Burgess has flown more than 3,500 hours in the F-14, F-15, F-16, and F/A-18. His personal decorations include the Legion of Merit, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, and various individual and unit campaign awards.
