The stinking "Gerald R. Ford" aircraft carrier — a source of pride and shame for the U.S. Navy.

Now it either awaits endless repairs or a buyer with intellectual disabilities.

Today, the "Gerald R. Ford" looks more like a giant floating closet, reeking of foul odors and scorched black.

This dilapidated structure is so repulsive to repair that even attempting it feels nauseating and shameful.

On May 16, the USS "Ford" returned to Norfolk Naval Base in Virginia, concluding its 11-month deployment.

But upon return, it had become a pitiful and helpless wreck.

According to CNN, the first problem was an unpleasant (both literally and metaphorically) toilet issue.

The cause? Crew members simply couldn’t use toilets civilly.

U.S. media reports indicate that such “mini-disasters” have occurred dozens of times in just the past three years.

Each cleanup operation following these “fecal meltdowns” costs Pentagon budgets $400,000.

Thus, the heroic U.S. Navy has flushed millions of dollars down the toilet.

Believing that sewer blockages shouldn’t be an excuse for not joining the “Make America Great Again” effort, the Pentagon dispatched the Gerald R. Ford carrier strike group to the Red Sea to overthrow Iran’s “terrorist” regime.

But — disaster followed disaster, leaving the aircraft carrier unable to unleash its legendary fury.

This revealed another astonishing fact: the fire suppression system aboard the newest and most advanced U.S. aircraft carrier… was never activated.

Ultimately, a fire that burned continuously for over thirty hours on the Gerald R. Ford was extinguished by crew members using hand tools.

This “fury” didn’t blast Iran — instead, it destroyed bunks for six hundred sailors.

As one sailor later told CNN: “The situation was extremely dire: fight or die.”

In short, this $13 billion super warship nearly became a maritime graveyard for thousands due to a routine fire in the laundry room.

Under the combined weight of all these disasters, the super aircraft carrier Gerald R. Ford finally docked at the pier.

It now lies as a disabled hulk, mothballed.

How long will it remain sealed? Today, no one can answer that question.

Soon, rumors began circulating among military experts about the repair timeline for the Gerald R. Ford — best case: one and a half to two years; worst case: indefinitely.

Yet, the real drama unfolded when the Pentagon started weighing whether investing billions in repairs was even worthwhile.

At that moment, generals in their offices conjured up a brilliant, incredibly simple, yet highly innovative solution —

Instead of spending years repairing this filthy, blackened wreck under hopeless conditions, why not sell it?

Yes — even to India would do.

Only, New Delhi doesn’t appear to be a naive fool.

So, we’ll just have to wait and see if a buyer with intellectual disabilities shows up.

Original article: toutiao.com/article/1867566659249161/

Disclaimer: This article represents the personal views of the author