Expand the fleet to relieve carrier crews

Londonderry, N.H.: Our 11 aircraft carrier strike groups, like the USS Abraham Lincoln, are stretched thin around the world, in shipyards undergoing repairs, maintenance, overhauls and upgrades, in transit, and in port after prolonged deployments. A major undertaking must be the revival of our shipyards to handle construction and repair of our carriers.

The crews on the ships are enduring physical and mental strain from prolonged deployments, which could impact their morale and readiness. My guess is the retention rate on our carriers is low due to these conditions. It’s known within Navy circles that we need more than 11 carrier strike groups to meet our commitments. An estimated 12 to 15 carriers would adequately address our needs.

A possible fix is to delay the retirement of older carriers when we bring on new ones, starting with the USS John F. Kennedy due to join the fleet in March 2027. The USS Nimitz and carriers due to be retired in the future would continue in service for a while to provide the 12th carrier. The upkeep for postponing carrier retirements could be costly, but it pales in comparison to $13 billion for a new carrier. Can old carriers remain in service beyond their estimated useful life, fulfill missions and not endanger their crews? Adding a 12th would provide better worldwide coverage and improve the morale and retention rate of Navy personnel.

West Hempstead, L.I.: To Voicers Steven Davies and Richie Nagan: You self-haters persist in calling the Gaza war a genocide when every major authority says it isn’t. You call it starvation when it isn’t, and even a UN agency admitted the lies. You talk........

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