A March 18, 2025 email from the engineering department sent out to all chiefs on the ship said there were 205 breakdowns in four days. The sailors who work on the sewage system, called hull maintenance technicians (HT), fell behind in the months leading up to USS Ford's scheduled deployment. "Our sewage system is being mistreated and destroyed by Sailors on a daily basis. My HT's are currently working 19 hours a day right now trying to keep up with the demand," according to the email.