USS Gerald R. Ford Moves Into Strike Position Off Venezuela After a quiet port stop in St. Thomas, the USS Gerald R. Ford has moved into place just off Venezuela’s coast. It’s not alone. Navy destroyers. A Marine amphibious assault ship. A submarine armed with Tomahawks. Thousands of U.S. Marines already landed in Puerto Rico - now rehearsing combat landings in jungle terrain. Military flights tied to B-52s are in the air. And then came the GPS blackout. National security analyst Brandon Weicher

Sailors from the USS Gerald R. Ford are arriving in St. Thomas for several days of rest and recuperation, stepping off the massive aircraft carrier onto smaller boats before heading ashore. The world’s largest warship brings more than 4,000 personnel to the territory, giving St. Thomas an immediate economic lift as crew members, officers, and visiting families fan out across the island. Hotels, restaurants, taxis, and tour operators are all seeing a surge as the carrier settles in for its multi-