NORFOLK, Va. – The first time Lt. Nicholas Curta took the watch as officer of the deck (OOD) aboard the world’s largest aircraft carrier, USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78), he wasn’t thinking about awards or recognition. A judge advocate by training, Curta was seeking to support the ship’s mission. What he didn’t expect was that his sharp instincts would one day earn him one of the Navy’s most prestigious honors in ship handling.
Curta was named the Shiphandler of the Year for 2024 by Commander, Naval Air Force Atlantic, a rare distinction for a staff corps officer, a portion of the naval officer community seldom involved in any sort of navigational work, and even more for a judge advocate primarily tasked with advising...
CSSN Nicholas Murphy reflects on the adversity he overcame growing up in a rough Miami neighborhood and his appreciation for the opportunities he's been afforded by the U.S. Navy.
A feature story focusing on Aviation Electronics Technician 3rd Class Gabrielle Jensen and her passion for art that lead for her to illustrate a mural on the USS Gerald R. Ford's hangar bay.
The U.S. Navy is a melting pot of beliefs and practices that reflect the experiences of Sailors across generations. Superstitions, which have been adopted and passed down throughout the Navy’s history, have served as an important means of understanding the dangers and uncertainties of life at sea.
Lt. Nicholas Curta, the assistant judge advocate assigned to the world's largest aircraft carrier, USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78), poses for a photo on the bridge after receiving the 2024 Commander, Naval Air Force Atlantic (CNAL) Shiphandler of the Year award, June 4, 2025. Gerald R. Ford, a first-in-class nuclear carrier and flagship of Carrier Strike Group Twelve, incorporates modern technology, innovative shipbuilding designs, and best practices from legacy aircraft carriers to underpin American security and economic prosperity through sustained operations at sea. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Jacob Mattingly)
The Battle of Midway, fought from 4 - 7 June 1942, directly shaped the future of the U.S. Navy, making ships like USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) possible. (U.S. Navy video by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Gladjimi Balisage)
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...
Gerald R. Ford, the 38th President of the United States, was born July 14, 1913, in Omaha, NE. The future President grew up in a close-knit family, excelled scholastically and athletically at South High School in Grand Rapids, and achieved the rank of Eagle Scout in November 1927.
Ford attended the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, where he majored in economics and political science. An extremely gifted athlete, FORD was voted the Wolverine’s most valuable player in 1934, with opportunities to play professional football.
Ford chose the legal profession over a professional football career, graduating with a law degree from Yale in 1941. After the United States entered the war during World War II, Ford received a commission...
