The USS Gerald R. Ford enjoyed a massive commissioning celebration on July 22, 2017. Many connected to President Gerald Ford’s legacy were in attendance.

The USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) Commissioning Committee hosted the Ship Sponsor Luncheon on July 21, 2017 at the Norfolk Waterside Marriott in Norfolk, Virginia. The Luncheon paid tribute and honored the work of Ship Sponsor Susan Ford Bales, daughter of President and Mrs. Gerald R. Ford.

The USS Gerald R. Ford CVN 78 Commissioning Committee hosted a Chairmen’s Dinner on July 21, 2017 at Naval Station Norfolk in Norfolk, Virginia.

While docked at Newport News Shipbuilding, Ship Sponsor Susan Ford Bales helped unveil a statue of her father aboard the USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78).

A Midland Daily News feature highlighted the recent celebration with USS Gerald R. Ford Ship Sponsor Susan Ford Bales and former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld in Midland, MI. 

The USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78), the first ship of the next-generation class of nuclear-powered aircraft carriers, was christened on November 9, 2013 at Newport News Shipbuilding in Virginia. Susan Ford-Bales, the daughter of the ship's namesake, President Gerald R. Ford, performed the christening. 

On January 26, 2013, the Island Landing Ceremony of the USS Gerald R. Ford CVN 78 took place at the Newport News Shipbuilding (NNS) shipyards in Newport News, Virginia. The ceremony represents a significant milestone in the structural completion of the ship.