USS Gerald Ford
Even as the United States Department of Defense (DoD) has placed a greater focus on warfighting, concerns persist that sailors are facing issues with fatigue. A tired and overworked crew won’t be combat effective, but fatigue can still be a significant concern even in peacetime. The US Navy determined that two incidents in 2017 involving the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers USS Fitzgerald and USS John S McCain resulted from fatigue.
Both warships collided with commercial vessels, resulting in the deaths of seven sailors on the USS Fitzgerald, while 10 sailors were killed on board the USS John S McCain. Investigators found that the crews hadn’t slept enough, with some officers awake for more than 24 hours during the collisions.
