NAVAL STATION NORFOLK, Va. - Tuesday, about 2,700 sailors hit the seas from Naval Station Norfolk on a big day for Hampton Roads and the U.S. Navy.
The USS Gerald R. Ford deployed for the first time five years after it was commissioned.
The deployment was originally set for Monday but was postponed with concerns over the weather.
The Ford has nearly two dozen new technologies and is the first in a new class of new aircraft carriers.
Many sailors, like AO2 Tiarra Nave, were ready to go to make history.
“Seeing the team come together and evolve, we're ready,” Nave told News 3.
It wasn’t one, but two firsts for Nave.
Not only is she part of the Ford’s first deployment, but it’s also her first deployment ever.
“I've been on the fort for four years,” Nave said. “It's a little nerve wracking. It's exciting.”
Dr. Sarah Williams is a licensed therapist in Hampton Roads and a Navy widow.
“I'm super thrilled about these opportunities that these sailors are about to experience,” Williams told News 3.
She often works with active service members and their families especially when it comes to deployments.
“It's extremely exciting, but it can also be very overwhelming,” Williams said. “Every sailor can experience deployment at different levels.”
Dr. Williams said there can be mental health challenges related to deployment for sailors, including adjustment disorders.
“[It’s] basically a psychological diagnosis that occurs as a result of the distressing event, a sudden life change, or change in life circumstances, i.e., a deployment,” she said. “The sailor can experience disruptions in sleep, change in eating, depression, anxiety, irritability, difficulty managing relationships and basically completing tasks and completing life skills.”
But it's not just sailors. Williams believes resources for family members are also key.
“It can be a very isolating experience for the family members as well because they experience the change, anxiety, and adjustment,” she said.
For the Ford's commanding officer, Capt. Paul Lanzilotta, families are also top of mind.
“It's not natural to leave your family on the shore, and go away for months at a time,” Capt. Lanzilotta said. “We want them to be able to get through this, to thrive through it, and be able to look back on it as a time in our lives with fondness and appreciation for the opportunity.”
Dr. Williams is pleased about recent National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) amendments passed by members of the House improving the quality of life for sailors after recent suicides involving sailors assigned to the USS George Washington in Newport News.
“I think we're going to see a change in the trajectory of how mental health is approached, and that the improvement will demonstrate how we need even more programming and support for the sailors,” Williams said.
Meanwhile, many sailors are looking forward to a new adventure aboard the Ford in a new era for aircraft carriers.
“America's biggest and baddest warship as we sometimes call it,” Lanzilotta said.
Dr. Williams recommends sailors and families do self-check evaluations to see if they need additional support.
She also recommends looking into resources, like Military OneSource, for help with experiences related to stress, trauma or adjustment related to deployment.
